Distinct Advantages
by Mags62
Summary: Star Wars-SWTOR story, smugg/JC/trooper legacy family business with companions
1. Chapter 1

Maura looked around the grounds of the ranch, decorated for a wedding, and marveled at the last three months. Mags, looking very pregnant already, was standing at the hangar door, greeting guests. Her daughter, Michelina, was standing with her, a carbon copy of her mother. Too fast, Maura thought, they grow too fast. She had just finished that thought when her twins came running to her, Aric following. Calleigh looked like a little princess in her lavender dress, and Colin had already gotten dirt on his new pants. Figures, she mused. Aric drew near and kissed her, keeping his hand on her shoulder as they looked around. No one but the participants would be present at the ceremony, which MIriah would conduct on the _Stardancer_, but the party afterwards would be huge.

Corso joined them, looking happy and rested. The ranch had been operating at top speed lately, and just getting the chance to slow down for a few days was welcome. They were up to keeping eight hundred ronto and almost that many bantha on the property, and between the restaurants and markets who actually competed to sell their product and producing the next generation of genetically matched animals, Corso was busier than he'd ever been just with the ranch. He'd hired two more workers, and still stayed busy. His contribution to the company, Advantages, had been supplemented by Tanno Vik lately, just so they could stay current.

Felix Iresso, Mag's husband, was approaching her with a glass of water. He was concerned about how much Mags was taking on while expecting, and caring for a toddler. He did what he could to help and keep her life manageable, and leaving the diplomatic service was a plus. He saw now that she was tiring, and while she could use force power to clear it, he also knew that using force while pregnant was not as easy as when she wasn't. She smiled gratefully at him as he handed her the glass, and led her over to a chair, picking up his daughter in the process. "Sit, hon, you're doing too much again," he told her, sitting beside her, Michi on his knee.

"Thanks, sweetie. I know, I'm just so excited!" She waved the rest of her family over to them, smiling at their approach. "You guys all look great! Oh, Calleigh, you are just beautiful!" The little girl twirled, making her dress float around her, and grinned at her aunt. "Here comes trouble, with his grandmother," Mags said, waving and smiling at Sarai approaching, Devin on her hip.

"This little man wants his mama, and nana just won't do, " she told Corso, who took his son and put him on his shoulder. Devin was still sniffing, tears drying on his face.

"I'll see if they'll let us on the ship," Corso told her, then looking at Devin, "What's wrong, buddy?"

"Mama kiss, " he told his dad, holding up a bandaged finger that had a very small cut from two days ago, but that he insisted needed a bandage. Corso hid his smile, and approached the ramp, entering his code. They went through the air lock, and saw Miriah in the lounge area, and Corso had to remind himself to breathe. He'd seen her in every state of dress, from armor to formal to casual to nothing, but he'd never seen her look more beautiful. She wore a flowing beaded white dress, only one shoulder covered, her black hair put up with tendrils framing her face. The color of the dress enhanced the silver of her eyes, and she turned those eyes on her two men as they came through the ship.

"Sorry to interrupt, kitten, but Dev needs a little mama love," he told her, putting his son down to run to his mother. She lifted him up, grinning, and he buried his head on her bare shoulder, his little arms around her slender neck.

"Pretty mama," he told her, and kissed her cheek. He held up his bandaged finger for her kiss, and was happy.

"Smart boy," Corso said, getting his own kiss. "You look amazing, love." He noticed that she wore the moonstone necklace that he'd gotten her a couple of years earlier, and vowed to himself to buy her more jewelry. The only other piece she wore was her wedding band, which was miniature version of his own. Their fifth anniversary would be coming up, he thought, I'll start looking for something. He grinned at her, with their son on her hip, and took another kiss.

"You both look so handsome, " she told them, and he could see how happy she was. "But Mandalorian custom is…"

"I know, we're going. C'mon, Dev, let's go see if there's cookies outside," he grinned at his wife. Mandalorian custom was to have no one but the official and the couple for the ceremony, but a huge party after for the clans. The audio of the ceremony would be broadcast in the hangar, but no one would see the actual ceremony. As Corso took his son to the hallway, he saw Akaavi in her formal, shining and polished ceremonial armor, and was touched at how different she looked.

"'Kaavi, you're perfect, and I'm so happy for you," he told her in a soft voice, as she got a kiss from Devin.

"An' Kav," he said, "pretty." She smiled at the little boy, whom she'd loved since before he was born, and blushed.

"Thank you both," she told them, "Now, go! I must marry this man before he decides differently." Corso smiled, Cy wasn't going anywhere, and Akaavi smiled back. Corso left the ship, looking back one more time at his wife with a sigh of happiness, and joined the family. Calleigh was holding the newly-walking Michi's hand, and the boys were playing with pod racers that Corso had put in his pocket, knowing his son would need a distraction before the ceremony was over.

The hangar crackled with slight static as the audio feed was initiated. Everyone grew quiet, and Miriah's voice began the Mando'a vows, in Mando'a. Corso had to smile, she'd been working on the pronounciation for months now, and Akaavi had said she was ready. She made it through her part, and then it was time for the couple to say their vows to each other.

"_Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde"_ - "We are one when together. We are one when parted. We will share all. We will raise warriors." Cy smiled as he said these words to the woman he'd chosen, placing a hand worked silver band on her hand.

"_Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum_ "- "I love you." Akaavi then repeated the words Cy had told her as she placed a matching band on his hand. Miriah smiled at them both with a tear in her eye, Akaavi had been like another sister to her for so long. She'd even noticed that occasionally Corso would call her "cyare", or beloved, so ingrained had Mandalorian words and culture been in their family. Now, they would be losing a little part of their family so that Akaavi could have her own.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. _Aliit ori'shya tal'din_ - Family is more than blood," Miriah concluded, and the cheers from the guests outside could be heard through the hull of the ship. They opened the hatch, and Corso met Miriah's shining eyes, knowing she was torn between wanting to keep them all together and recognizing that her friend deserved her own happiness. Miriah followed the newlyweds down the ramp and he caught her in a hug.

There were at least three hundred guests in attendance, and already a band was starting up over in one corner of the hangar. The huge tiered cake had been made by Miriah's own hands, and was presiding over several smaller ones, as well as a long and well stocked buffet. The family met friends, old and new, and everyone exclaimed over the party. Miriah had been so busy, with the wedding ceremony before and the details of the party now, that Corso finally lifted her around her waist and carried her to the dance floor. He pulled her close to him and felt her relax against him as he led her in a slow dance. "Mmm sugar, you sure know how to get my attention, " she told him, hearing the rumble of his chuckle in the ear she'd put against the snowy white shirt he was wearing.

"Between the ranch and the wedding, I feel like I never get to hold you anymore. I miss it, darlin', so much," he told her, moving smoothly around to the slow, sensual music. He spotted Cy and Akaavi not far from them, lost in each other, and grinned. "Let's get you something to eat, kitten." He led her over to where the family was sitting, Sarai holding a sleeping Devin.

"Oh stars, I'm sorry, Mom, I didn't think about him needing a nap," Miriah told her mother.

"Don't be silly, Miriah. He's perfectly fine, right here. I've eaten and I'm enjoying him being still long enough to love on," she smiled at her daughter. Devin was usually a force to be reckoned with, much like his mother had been years ago. She glanced at her oldest daughter then, Magdalane gently rubbing her pregnant belly. Felix had made sure she was resting, then took Michi for a nap in the ship. Sarai stood to take Devin inside the ship as well, but Corso took him, knowing that his son was quiet heavy when asleep, and Sarai sat with Miriah instead. "You did a beautiful job with the ceremony, Mir. Mando'a is a beautiful language but I'd bet it's hard to learn." Miriah nodded.

"It was, but so worth it." She smiled at Corso as he brought her a plate of food with a flourish, bowing before her.

"You look almost like a bride yourself, cyare. And, you're losing weight again, so eat," he told her, sitting beside her. Maura heard his comment, and her eyes went wide.

"Oh! You should, right now, while we're all here, renew your vows. We only saw the practice version on your anniversary. Do it!" Maura was getting excited.

"No, this is Akaavi's day, not mine," Miriah said, smiling at Corso. "Besides, we don't have time for a honeymoon right now." They laughed, and Maura was telling a story about her and Aric's wedding, when Corso leaned close to whisper to her.

"I can't think about anything else but our wedding night now," he told her, " and I realize it's been far too long that we had any time for ourselves." They'd made love only that morning, as they were waking, but she knew what he meant. Their work and son had captured the large portion of their days lately, and they were both in a craving state for each other. They talked and laughed, Devin woke and monopolized his mom, and then it was done. Akaavi and Cy boarded his ship, and they waved as they took off for a two week hunt.

"Such a great day," Maura told her sister as they walked with the kids back to the ranch house. "And all the clean up is done, so you guys can take the next three days off." She nudged Miriah with her elbow, "And if you want, I can take Dev for the night." Miriah laughed, but she knew Devin would not be happy with that. He'd gotten a little clingy lately, and at eighteen months old, she knew that was normal even if it did make her a little crazy sometimes. The twins hadn't gone through that, because they'd had each other, but Devin had taken to needing her to do everything. She shook her head at her sister.

"Nah, Maura, he'd be more than a handful. I'll be glad when this stage is over, though. I should have known he'd been too easy up until now."

"It'll pass. Remember when the twins did this, and Calleigh appointed herself the overseer of every thing?" Miriah nodded, her niece was the dominant twin, and had practically potty trained Colin herself, unwilling to let him out of her sight. The family gathered at the house, where Miriah had finger foods and drinks for them. Sarai was staying at the ranch while her things were being moved from Tython, and she appeared in the kitchen in casual clothes, ready to watch the kids while everyone changed.

Miriah went to her room to find some casual clothes, and found Corso there, changing also. He met her with a kiss, and she could tell he was more than ready for some time with her. She felt the same, but knew the kind of teasing they'd take if they indulged themselves now, and pulled away from him after only one kiss.

"Awww darlin', this is torture. Can't we just disappear for a bit?" She could feel the slight tremble from him, and it almost broke her resolve to make him wait, even for just a few hours.

"I promise, sugar, I'll make sure it's worth the wait," she grinned, and heard him groan in response before he hauled her to him, kissing her, making her head spin. He broke the kiss and grinned down at her.

"Okay, if we have to wait, I'm going to do my best to make you crazy between now and then." He left the room after another knee-weakening kiss, and she had to sit for a moment.

If any of them had known what was waiting for them in the office mail, they would have found a way to stop time, there in that glorious afternoon.


	2. Chapter 2

Corso joined the family, now lounging around the living room, and Miriah soon followed, her eyes catching his with a grin. Sarai and Mags both felt the change in the emotional temperature of the room, but they were used to it from the young couple, and Sarai shook her head, smiling. Maura was sitting with Aric and the kids were all in the floor. Devin saw him mom enter and ran to her, his smile a smaller version of his father's. He told her that Calleigh looked pretty and that Akaavi was gone, but she didn't catch the rest of his chatter, until he told her Nana cried. She looked at her mom with a puzzled frown.

"Mom, you cried? Everything okay?" Sarai tried to take her youngest grandson, but he had his mom and wasn't moving.

"Oh, yes, I did. At the ceremony." Miriah nodded in understanding then, Devin wouldn't have understood the difference. She put her son on the floor, and he didn't fuss, but he stayed near her, holding onto her leg.

Magdalane was stretched out on one of the sofas, her head in her husband's lap. This pregnancy was nothing like Michi's, and she was feeling every one of her thirty four years in this one. Michi ran over to her mother and put her head on the mound of her brother, smiling. Michi had been a difficult baby at first, but had developed into a smiling little girl who liked nothing better than playing with her cousins. She especially idolized Colin, who was on the quiet side, just as she was. She patted her mom's belly and took off to the other kids, happy to be with everyone. Mags just watched her, and saw Felix smile at them both as he gently massaged her neck. Everything hurt with this baby, Mags thought, and Felix is right, I am doing too much. She promised herself she'd take this three day break to rest and relax. Miriah walked toward them, Devin clinging to her leg as she moved.

"How's Ian, sis? And you, of course. You look like you need a little pampering." Miriah grinned at them, noting that Mags was enjoying Felix's touch. "We have the three days, why don't you guys come out again tomorrow? We'll cook out and relax. "

"Are you sure about tomorrow, Mir? Cause Corso is looking at you like maybe he's got plans for this break that don't include anyone but you and him." Mags smirked at her sister, noting her blush.

"Hmm maybe the next day would be better," she said, and they both laughed. Felix had been helping out some on the ranch, and knew his brother in law needed some down time badly. Corso had been working eighteen hour days for a few weeks now, between the company and the ranch, and while he never seemed tired or irritable, he had to be feeling the strain.

"We'll be happy to come over whenever, Miriah, just let us know when is good," he told her, knowing that they'd eventually figure out a good time.

Corso was talking to Aric and Maura, but his eyes followed his wife's every move. Aric was telling them about a few new missions that Garza had sent them and asked Corso about the breeding season. "All done with it, I should be freed up some now. I'm actually writing a program to look at genetic matches and select the best mates for next year, something I should have done a while back. It's uh… ummm," his voice trailed off as he watched Miriah stretch from her bending position when she was talking to Mags. He was just staring when Maura snapped her fingers in front of him, and he blinked back to himself. "Sorry," he said, blushing as Maura and Aric laughed.

"Just go carry her off, man, we figured you guys wouldn't make it past changing," Aric chuckled. "You both deserve a little time off. Spitfire has been like a machine, working out missions at the office and then the wedding. Devin reminds me of you when they're there, he's always keeping an eye on his mom." Corso nodded, he'd hated that he'd had to leave his family for work so many days lately, and he knew that Miriah was carrying most of the burden of their lives right now. He was ready to be with them more, and so glad that the ranch was smoothing out.

Maura got up to feed the twins and Miriah followed with Devin and Michi, leaving Mags to rest. "I'm worried about her," Miriah said, looking at their oldest sister, whose eyes were closed now. Maura nodded.

"Yeah, Felix is right. Maybe she'll listen to him and rest these days off." Maura put plates together as Miriah cut fresh fruit for them. "Corso is half brain dead, and the other half is full of you," she told Miriah, grinning at her. Miriah blushed, but didn't respond, reveling in thoughts of what was to come. Sarai joined them in the kitchen, feeling the spike of pure emotion she'd felt from the other room grow stronger as she approached her daughters.

"Magdalane is sleeping, Mir, don't wake her," Sarai told her with a smile, and Miriah did try to calm her thoughts. The kids were done eating and Sarai and Maura took all four for baths while Miriah finished the adult's dinner. Aric and Corso came into the kitchen to help, but it was almost done. After a few minutes, Magdalane followed her nose to the rich scent of the lasagna Miriah had made, always hungry these days. Aric put plates on the table while Corso got the salad out of the cooler, and they all sat down to eat when Maura and Sarai returned, the kids playing in the playroom.

Aric brought up the subject of the office at dinner. "We have a few messages to get through, but nothing is marked urgent. Garza knows we're taking a few days off, so she shouldn't be calling. We're free and clear. Maura and I are being lazy, what about you guys?"

Corso nodded, "The ranch is coasting now, and I thought I'd take the kids fishing one afternoon, on the north side pond. No livestock there at the moment. I'm looking forward to some porch time, myself." He wouldn't look at his wife, knowing the force users at the table wouldn't appreciate the pure lust that would ensue. Felix nodded at him.

"I'd like that too, Cor. Been years since I went fishing, mind if I come along?" Corso smiled, Felix was generally very reserved, but lately he'd been talking more.

"Sounds great, Felix. You're always welcome here." It was true, Corso and Miriah had opened their place to them always, Felix thought. It's just who they were, and he felt totally at home here. Magdalane looked out toward the playroom, just as Miriah heard Devin calling for her.

"He's so tired, I think I'll go get him to bed, " she said with a sigh. Corso stood, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"No, love, you've barely eaten anything. Stay here, I'll put him to bed." Corso walked out and Miriah picked at her food for a minute.

"What's going on that you're not eating, Mir? Corso's right, you are losing weight again." Maura looked at her little sister with a critical eye, noting the slight smudges of fatigue and the loose clothing.

"Well, he's been working so hard, getting home late and just crashing. I've been doing the same with the office and the wedding, but I have so much going on that I'm not sleeping well. When I don't sleep well, I get nauseous, therefore I don't eat much." She shrugged. "At least I'm not having nightmares."

Magdalane smiled at her, "I have a feeling that the next three days will right things with you both." The group laughed, and Miriah had to join in. They looked up as Corso brought a crying Devin in to his mom.

"He's beyond tired, darlin', and wants only you," he said, feeling a little slighted but also knowing that Dev had always preferred his mom when he was sleepy.

"My mama," the little boy sniffed, reaching for Miriah, who took him in her arms. He snuggled to her, reaching for a handful of her hair, stroking the soft strands with his thumb and closing his tired eyes. She gently smoothed his black hair and patted his back, feeling the tears drying against her neck as his breathing evened out into the rhythm of sleep. Calleigh ran in to Aric, and he picked her up, and she settled her head on his chest.

"I think they've all had a big day," he said, patting Calleigh's back. Colin strolled in with Michi, and Maura had them both in her lap.

Sarai sighed, "and here's Nana with no grandbabies," she teased. Michi got down and, smiling, toddled to her grandmother. Maura and Aric began to gather their things, preparing to go home, and Mags stood to do the same.

"Dinner was so good, Mir, thank you. If we get together in the next couple of days, I promise to do more to help."

"No you won't, Mags. You're resting, no arguments. You're more tired than I am," Miriah told her, her tone telling Mags there would be no discussion. Corso and Miriah stood on the deck, waving to the other families, Devin in his bed. They turned to say goodnight to Sarai, and saw that she'd already retired, too. They grinned at each other, and took off for their room at a run.

Corso pushed her against the wall as they entered their room, but Miriah was equally aggressive with him, her hands everywhere, finding skin and stripping clothing from them both. Corso noted that she was thin, too thin, but still felt like his Miriah, and when she threw her head back, her eyes closed and her voice trying to not wake the baby, he was totally entranced with her. They finally made their way to the bed, and it was hours before they talked, other than murmured words of passion. He was running his hands through her long black hair, when she asked him a question. "Hmm?" he asked, trying to focus on her words and not how sensuously she was draped across him.

"I said, do you think we'll still be so into each other when we're old and gray?" She was trailing her fingertips along his hip, making it hard for him to think.

"I will always be this into you, always," he told her, then claimed her mouth with his own and when they surfaced at last, ready for sleep, he whispered to her, "I will always love you, even when we're both old and Devin brings our grandchildren to visit us." He held her close, feeling her drift into sleep, and smiled.

Maura and Aric were sleeping off a night of intimacy as well, and it was late morning when Aric decided to access the office mail account from the house. He was humming, remembering the way Maura had responded to him last night, when he saw a holomail from Garza's private account. He frowned as he opened it, and felt their break slipping away.

_Jorgan,_

_I am sending this through non official channels because this is not common knowledge. My daughter is a Senator, representing Balmorra. She works closely with one of Magdalane's former crew, Zenith. She's been receiving threats of a personal nature, and I would very much like it if your group could investigate. I know it's not your usual mission, but I beg you to take this one. She and my grandson are all the family I have left._

_Contact me on this account about this matter, and I'll check it as frequently as I can. Attached are the files she's been receiving as well as her contact info. She'll be expecting your call, but please, be discreet._

_I will forever be in your debt._

Aric looked around and sighed. He'd have to get everyone together for this. He walked into the living room, where Maura was reading to the kids, and at her look, tried to smile. She saw that something was wrong, and when the book was finished, she put the kids down for naps and joined him on the couch.

"Okay, I know that face. That's the face that you use when things just went in a different direction than what you figured. What happened and who needs us?" She sighed, she should have known a break wasn't in the cards for them right now. He pulled her onto his lap.

"Can't we just play now and talk about this later? I need to get everyone here to discuss it anyway, and I wasn't quite done with you this morning when the kids woke up." His hands were under her shirt now, and she was helpless to resist him. After a while, he murmured in her hair, "I need to message the others, honey, can you reach my datapad?" She stretched her hand under the sofa, where most of their clothes had ended up, and felt the small device. She handed it to him, and started to rise, but he pulled her back to him. "Not yet, gorgeous, still not done with you." She giggled as he typed. "Done, " he said, turning his attention back to his wife.

They gathered at the immaculate two story house that belonged to Aric and Maura after dinner, Miriah bringing dessert. Sarai had stayed at the house with a sleeping Devin. Miriah and Corso were smiling, relaxed and happy. Aric hated to tell them of this new mission, knowing they needed this break. Mags looked pregnant and tired, and Felix looked worried about her. Maura just kept looking at him with curiosity.

"Okay guys, here's what's up," he said, launching into the explanation of the holomail Garza had sent them. Miriah sighed, and Corso pulled her against him, hugging her to him. Mags looked worried about her former crew mate and friend, and Felix just looked worried about her.

"So as far as I can tell from the info she sent, there have been some threats made against the Senator but not directly to the child, and it's been sporadic. The military has upped their presence around the senate building there, and there's been no further activity since then. Our job will be to assess the authenticity of the threat, who's behind it, and what needs to be done to neutralize the threat." He saw Corso nod in agreement, and gently rub his wife's back.

"Do you think it's something we can do a few hours a day on for a few days?" Corso wanted and needed this break, Aric realized, probably more than any of them. Aric nodded at his brother in law, seeing his relief in his eyes.

"Absolutely. I really wanted to make sure it was something we were willing to do, since it's not a combat mission. I promised Spitfire we wouldn't do these anymore, so I call for a vote."

Miriah looked at Aric then, the pro forma leader of the group. "We kinda have to, I feel obligated to, anyway. Garza has been good to us, and she's only asking us to investigate, not stop. We can do this from here, for the most part, since Mags already has a relationship with Zenith." At her words, Felix appeared to bristle but quickly regained his normal reserved posture.

"As long as we can do things from here, I'm in," Mags said, rubbing her belly. Felix nodded, ready to do whatever they asked of him, as usual.

"Okay then we're going to work on this, but not exclusively and not really until we're done with this break." He typed a message to Garza, which she responded to immediately with her grateful thanks. "Now, where did that cheesecake go?"


	3. Chapter 3

Magdalane fell asleep on the short ride home. She'd napped during the day, but since her hormones were on overdrive, she'd kept Felix up some the evening before, not that he'd minded except he knew she needed rest. He looked over at her sleeping profile, and wondered again how he'd gotten so very lucky to have met and fallen in love with her. He looked in the rear seat to see Michi slumped in her child seat, sleeping as well. When he parked at their house, he leaned over to kiss Mags, seeing her smile at him as she woke. "We're home, love. I'll get the sprout." He got Michi out of her seat, never waking her, and took her in to her crib. We're going to have to get another one of these, I guess, he mused. He heard Magdalane in the kitchen, no doubt making a cup of tea before bed, and just the realization that he knew her so well made him grin. He walked into the kitchen, and saw his lovely wife silhouetted against the window, the twin moons bright. Her hands rested lightly on her belly, and he was hit with the realization that his son was growing there. His son! He loved his daughter with his whole heart, but there was something about a son that grabbed him.

She felt his presence then, and turned to smile at him. He walked to where she was standing, putting his arms around her and his chin on her shoulder. "You look so beautiful in the moonlight," he told her, and put his hand over his growing child, "and the little one is growing so fast." He kissed her then, and Mags forgot her tea, swept up in her love for him.

Corso helped Miriah out of the speeder, kissing her as she turned. They held each other for a minute, just content to be close, then made their way into the house. It was quiet, Sarai having gone to bed early. She'd been having a great time with Devin, who was getting more independent every day. He was even less clingy today, Miriah thought, and more willing to do things with his Nana. Corso saw her smile, and asked what she was thinking of.

"Devin, and his Nana, playing in the dirt this afternoon. I've never seen Mom get dirty before, she'd have skinned us for getting that dirty on Tython." She walked into the kitchen, and turned to ask Corso if he wanted a glass of wine. When she turned, he was right there, stroking her cheek and bending to kiss her, then bending further to kiss the spot she loved behind her ear. She shivered and lifted her chin, making her neck more accessible to him. Ever since a Sith lord had force choked her, almost a year ago now, her neck was exquisitely sensitive and she was now trembling as he ran his warm tongue over her skin. She was melting under his touch when he lifted her in his arms and took her to their room, where he gently loved her until she couldn't think about anything but him.

Aric was still torn about the Garza mission, and Maura could tell it was still on his mind, even though he was gently stroking her back. She finally asked him, "What is worrying you so much, hon?"

He sighed, snuggling to her, "I don't know, there's just something I can't put my finger on that bugs me about Garza's request. And I think I saw Felix scowl when Zentih's name came up, just for a second." He put his arms around his wife and hugged her close, the scent of her skin making him forget about Garza and her holomail and focus only on her.

By morning, the group was rested and ready to think about the holomail. They met at the office and put the kids in the playroom. Sarai had only been there a few times, and was always amazed at all the technology crammed into the building. Miriah was busily typing at her computer terminal, as was Maura. Magdalane was working with a smartboard, drawing a timeline and putting in pertinent facts. Aric turned to Felix, catching his attention.

"Would you send a message to Zenith? Just to let him know to keep his eyes open for anything unusual?" Felix nodded, and Aric didn't see any change in his expression. He frowned into his now empty caffa mug and walked to the break room to get more. He saw the cookies Miriah had brought and took a couple, and met Sarai's laughing eyes as he turned to leave.

"I can't resist Mir's cookies, ever," he told his mother in law, and she nodded.

"Me either. I'll have to start exercising more regularly now that I'm moving here," she grinned. "I don't know how the girls stay so slim with all this great food around." She glanced at her youngest daughter as she said this, and decided to take her something to nibble on. She can use about ten pounds, she thought. Sarai took several cookies and some juice to Miriah, who only looked up after Sarai cleared her throat, she was so engrossed in her work.

"Oh, thanks Mom," Miriah smiled at Sarai. "I didn't hear you come in." She was searching Senate documents for the phrasing and grammar used in the threatening holomails, a tedious process given all the nonsensical language in the official documents. Miriah hated these types of searches, types of missions, really. It seemed so artificial, when there were military ops that needed attention, but she felt indebted to the stern general who'd gone out of her way to help them find Corso's cousin a few months ago.

"Eat up, my girl. You're worrying me with this thinness. As fast as your son is growing, he'll overtake you soon." Miriah picked up a cookie and took a big bite, making her mother smile.

"We're grilling at the house for everyone tonight, so I'm sending C2 to the market, need or want anything?" Miriah looked over at Corso, bent over his workbench, running checks on current ops for any issues. He looked more rested than he had in weeks, and had a quiet contentment about him now. Devin ran in from the playroom to his dad, and Corso picked him up, putting him on his knee and talking to the smiling little boy. Her men, she thought, and Dev is growing fast. She grinned as Devin put his head on Corso's shoulder, and she saw Corso's face. He hugged the little boy close, and put his cheek on his son's head as he continued to read his computer terminal. Sarai followed Miriah's gaze, and the tender smile her daughter had.

"Two of a kind, those two are," Sarai observed.

"Oh, I sure hope so, he could do so much worse than be like his dad," Miriah said, "His dad is a pretty great guy." She grinned at her mom, who agreed.

Corso was reading through the latest weapon specs, absently rubbing his son's back. Another growth spurt, he thought, and he'll be bigger than Colin, who was a year older. He put the little boy on his shoulder, where he snuggled in, happy. "Love daddy," his son whispered, just before he dropped into sleep. Corso smiled, his heart was full and happy. Miriah walked over to them.

"He's missed you, these past weeks. He would ask where you were, and nod when I would tell him that you were in the barns, but he still missed you." He took her slender hand in his, brought it to his lips.

"I missed you guys, too. Even though I got to see you for a few minutes a day, I still wished I was with you both all the time. And I think he's going through a growth spurt again, I don't know how you stand up with him if he's asleep, darlin'. " He stood then, and they walked to Aric's desk. "We're taking this guy home to nap, see you all later this afternoon, okay?"

"Sure thing," Aric told them, "hopefully we'll have some responses to the messages sent later today or tomorrow, Mir has her search going, Maura is running known associates and is almost done, and Mags is looking at the current political situation there, just got her report but haven't read it yet. I sent messages to the army brass there, the Republic liaison is an old friend, and I should hear from him later. Not a whole lot else we can do right now anyway." He walked to the multipurpose room, where their speeder sat. "We'll see you in a bit," he told them, helping Miriah up. Sarai had come in on the small speeder, so she would be leaving on her own. Maura joined Aric in the doorway, linking her arm in his.

"Let's gather ours up, too. All we can do now is wait anyway, and maybe I would like a little snuggle time with you," she told him, getting his immediate attention. They herded the kids to the speeder and took off, leaving Felix, Mags and Sarai at the office. Sarai took off for the ranch house, and Felix and Mags loaded their speeder, locked the office, and took off for home. They'd just arrived when Magdalane's holo chimed, and she dug it out of the gear bag she'd been using as a carry all when they were on the move. She activated the holo and saw Zenith.

"Hello, Zenith, how are you?" she asked, seeing her former crew mate and friend. She felt the wariness that Felix was putting out but still didn't understand what the animosity was between those two. They chatted for a few minutes, catching up, and then Zenith asked a question.

"Mind if I drop in on my way to Coruscant in two days? I'd love to meet your daughter and I think I can provide some insight on a mission your group is working on." Mags was surprised, as close as her crew was when they'd worked together, once she'd married and had Michi they'd drifted apart, and Zenith was the first to leave. She looked quickly at Felix, saw his scowl and nod, and told Zenith they'd be happy to see him. Once she'd disconnected, she looked at her husband.

"What happened that you and Zenith got so crossed with each other? I remember going down to Belsavis for an hour and coming back, and you two never speaking to each other again. I never asked, because I shouldn't have to know everything, but now I'm asking." She stood, her arms crossed, her expression stern, and waited for him to meet her gaze.

Felix, peacemaker that he was, tried to move around her but she wouldn't let him. He knew she'd kept her silence about this for a long time now, and he hesitated but then started to speak. "You left for the planet, and Zenith had been drinking. He made some comment about how he'd have been in your quarters if only he'd had a chance to make his move, and included some crude comments about us both, so I punched him." He shrugged. "That's it, we never spoke of it, or anything else, since that night." Mags was staring at him, open-mouthed.

"That was years ago now, Felix! And I had no idea Zenith ever even thought of me that way. He certainly never said or did anything to make me think that. I mean, you guys worked together for almost two years and never talked to each other? How does that even happen?"

"Datapad messages," he grinned. "We didn't really need to communicate much anyway, and we just left messages when we did. I'm sorry, honey, but no one talks about my wife like that and just walks." She just shook her head, she'd never understand the male ego, she thought.

"Well, you have me, Felix. Sometimes I'm not sure you wanted so much of me, but here I am," she indicated her expanding middle. Her expression grew serious then, "Are you sure you're okay with this? Everything? He'll only be here a short time, and maybe we can gain something useful without having to travel to get the info." Felix crossed to her where she was leaning on the counter and drew her into a hug.

"I will be on my best behavior, sweetheart, I promise. And I love you, all of you. I mean, that's my son in there, how can I not love how you look carrying him?" His infectious grin made her smile.

"Don't forget Michi in your excitement about Ian, " she told him. "She's daddy girl, and needs your attention, too."

"Don't worry, hon. Michi will always have her own part of my heart, and I love her as much as I love you, you know that." He looked at her, seeing her fatigue.

"I do know that, but I don't want her to ever question it." Felix nodded his agreement and led her to stretch out on the couch while their daughter napped.

Corso and Miriah were on the porch, in their swing, in their usual lounging position. Miriah was almost asleep, enjoying the warmth of his body against her and the lazy motion of the swing, when she sat up suddenly and looked at him in horror. "Oh, Cor, I just thought of something. You know who was involved with the protests on Balmorra, and I know, and I think we just blocked his name from our minds when this all came up."

"Brock. I already thought of it, darlin', last night when we were at Aric's house. He's already queued up for a background and proximity check, in fact it may be running now." He settled her back against him, rubbing her back much as he'd done to Devin earlier.

"Well, you seem awfully calm about mentioning his name. Not like last year, when you went ballistic." She looked at him curiously, wondering what was going on in his mind. He saw her studying him, and laughed.

"If he's involved, we'll find out, and Garza will take him out. If he's only on the sidelines, we'll find out and Garza will still take him out. Either way, not a problem for me." He grew quiet, seeing her eyes start to close, and wondered if the Twi'lek had enough sense to get far, far away from the Senate building that he'd once protested. Corso almost hoped he didn't, and grinned to himself as he felt Miriah relax in sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day brought more info in and gave them a little more of the overall situation on Balmorra, but not any specifics on the threats General Garza's daughter, Senator Aimes, had received. The background showed that Numen Brock had gone far underground, with no activity on his accounts in months. Corso was a little uneasy about that, thinking that the sleaze had somehow changed his identity and gotten another backer. He was thinking about that when Aric approached his desk.

"Did Felix tell you that Zenith would be arriving tomorrow?"

"Yeah, what's with those two? I mean, Felix is so even tempered, but I sensed some tension there."

Aric pointed at the younger man. "Exactly! I told Maura that, and she poo-pooed me as being too suspicious of everyone. I'm not, am I?"

"Nah, just people you meet and those you know who you know are already bad. And those who you see when you're scouting stuff, and…" Corso smiled at his friend and brother in law.

"I get it, yeah, okay, I'm naturally suspicious of people," Aric grinned. "It's an instinct that's kept me alive more than once. But I really do sense something with Felix, he doesn't like this Zenith guy and the only thing that would make him hold a grudge this long is if it's to do with Mags. Don't you think?" Aric peered at the Mantellian, whose face had gone serious, thinking.

"If it were me, then yeah, it would have to involve Miriah for me to hold a grudge that long. I mean, I have, right? Brock is one example." He looked at Aric, "He's disappeared, for all intents, according to the background trace. Makes me a little nervous." He looked around, seeing his wife with her sister in the break room, cookie time for the kids. This was their last half day, and he was taking the kids fishing this afternoon after naps, and Felix and Aric were coming along. "Hey, you know, I was wondering. Their names are different, so I'm assuming the senator is or was married. Is she still?"

"Widowed," replied Aric. "I'd met her husband, he was one of the majors stationed on Balmorra, was killed there about a year after we left there. He was a really nice guy, Imps killed him during the last push on the planet." He looked down at his feet, knowing he or Maura could have had the same fate.

"Well, we might want to see if he had any enemies that might be trying to get something from her now that he's gone. I know it's been a while, but still a possibility." Aric nodded, he hadn't thought of that.

Miriah and Maura glanced over at their husbands, lost in conversation. "Wonder what they're solving over there?" Maura asked, looking at their posture and concluding that it was a work conversation.

"Oh, I'm sure it's some complicated galaxy-changing issue that we'd never understand," Miriah joked, getting a laugh from her sister. "I'm sure it's to do with this mission, if they talk about us, they have a different look." She nodded when Maura looked at her with a question on her face. "They do, honest."

"I sometimes forget how well you read people." Maura shrugged, "At least we're making some progress. All the current ops are going well and the ones we have on backlog are caught up, at least as much as we can catch them up until they get closer." She pulled Calleigh's golden curls away from her face. "I think we can coast a little now. Did you know Zenith is coming here tomorrow?"

"Really? Wow, haven't seen him since Mags' wedding." Miriah turned to the half full cookie container. "Uhoh I need to bake this afternoon. Can't let Tanno run out of cookies," she laughed.

"Or Aric," Maura said with a smile. She could cook meals, but the baking arena belonged to her sister. Miriah glanced at the men and saw Corso staring at her. What's he thinking, she mused, then she saw his slow grin, and felt it heat her up inside. Mags brought Michi in from her morning nap and slapped Miriah on the arm.

"Cut it out, Mir. I'm too tired." Miriah and Maura both turned their attention to Magdalane then, not realizing she was having any difficulty.

"Mags, go home. Rest. Are you okay?" Maura asked her older sister, noting her slowed movement.

"I'm just tired, you know how this part of pregnancy just saps your energy," Mags replied, kissing Michi's head as she put the little girl in her chair. Miriah put cookies down for her and Maura handed Michi a cup of milk. Miriah turned and hugged Mags, concerned for her.

"We're really fine here, and if you want, I'll take Michi with us for lunch and naps." Mags looked at her youngest sister with relief.

"That would be amazing, Mir. Are you sure? Dev won't fuss about sharing his mom?"

"He's getting a little better about the clinging," she told them, "and Mom is there if he gets fussy." She moved to take Devin out of the chair and wash his hands, then took him to his dad. "We're taking Michi at lunch, give Mags some time to rest, " she told him.

"Mags is okay?" His concern for her apparent on his face.

"Just tired. So we'll get her to go home and have some resting time." He nodded, he loved all the kids as his own, so one more was perfectly fine with him. Magdalane joined them, and Corso stood to hug her.

"Rest, Mags. Michi is in good hands." She nodded, grateful for the respite, and they waved as Felix took her hand and led her to their speeder car.

Felix was concerned about his wife. "Honey, are you absolutely sure this is just fatigue?" He knew her force power would tell her if anything else was wrong, but he was still concerned.

"Remember when I would fall asleep in the middle of conversations, with Michi?" Felix nodded, smiling as he recalled her odd and sudden collapses into sleep, sometimes even during a meal. "This is just like that. Just tired. No pain or anything else, just want to sleep." He nodded again, and helped her out at their house. She walked to the couch and slipped off her shoes, and motioned him over. "Hold me for a bit?" she asked, and he would never refuse a request like that. They got comfortable on the couch and he felt her fall asleep almost immediately. He lay there with her, her warmth and calm aura soothing him into sleep as well.

After another couple of hours, both families gathered their families to head to their respective houses, the kids getting hungry and tired. Devin was singing in the speeder and Michi was laughing at him. Corso looked at Miriah, and grinning, asked her, "Does this make you want another baby?" He laughed out loud when she whipped her head around to him.

"What are you suggesting, Mister Riggs? You're the one who still has occasional nightmares about Devin's birth." She saw him blush, it really was a scary time for them both. "I do want another, just not sure this is the right time. I really want Devin to be a little more independent before I'm pregnant again." Her voice was soft and her hand on his. Maybe it would be better to have Dev a little older, he thought. He nodded at her, and she relaxed. When they reached the house, they got the kids out and had the lunch Sarai had made for them all, and after a little play time, Devin brought Michi, holding her little hand, to his mom.

"Her sweepy," he told Miriah, and Michi rubbed her eyes. Miriah's heart thumped, her little man had just reached through her chest and touched it. She took the little girl in her arms, and Devin climbed up on the chair beside them, patting Michi's back. When Corso came back into the kitchen, he saw his wife with Michi on her shoulder, and Devin with his head on her lap, both children asleep. He gently picked the little girl up and put her in the crib set up in the guest room. Miriah picked her son up and took him to his bed, then met Corso in their swing.

"That was a sight, you covered in sleeping children," he smiled at her, as she settled against him. She told him how Devin had brought Michi to her, and he smiled. Their son was quite a little gentleman, and he was so proud of him. "You do such a great job with him, teaching him things, loving him," he told her, gently squeezing her against him.

"He copied you, you know. He does things he sees you do, all the time. He's your clone," she joked, snuggling to him. He laughed, he'd noticed Devin copying him, too, but figured that was okay for the most part. She turned to him, her face suddenly serious. "I love you, Cor."

"And I love you, cyare, very much." He kissed her forehead, which in their current position was all he could reach. "Everything okay?"

"Yes, I just realize sometimes that I don't say that enough to you. We show each other all the time, but I want to tell you more how I feel." He pulled her up onto his chest, kissing her with great care. They parted when they heard Sarai approaching to join them on the porch.

"Miriah, I'm going shopping. Anything you need? I'm going looking for house things, then going over to my house. I checked this morning, my things should be here in three days!" Sarai was very excited, she loved the little house she'd bought here, about ten minutes away from her daughters.

"No, Mom, I'm good. I'm baking this afternoon when the gang goes fishing, the cookie supply is getting low." They smiled at each other, and Sarai walked to them, kissing them both on the cheek. They're so perfect for each other, Sarai thought, as she walked to the speeder.

Sarai arrived at the local markets and shops, and found several things she wanted for her house. She also found some clothes for her granddaughters, and some toys for her grandsons, and a couple of soft blankets for her new grandson. She was gathering up her purchases when she saw soldiers in the small square. Republic soldiers. She paused, looking at their armor. Havoc squad patches adorned their chestplates. Hmm, she thought, this is unusual. Instead of going to her new house, she detoured to Aric and Maura's house, wanting them to know of the military's presence. Aric greeted her as she got off the speeder.

"Hey Mom, how are you? Missed you this morning," he told her, smiling. She grinned back, and hugged the large Cathar.

"I need to tell you something. I was just in the local markets, and saw Havoc squad soldiers in the square. Did you know they were here?" She looked at him as he processed this.

"No idea. Who is Havoc leader now? I don't even know. I'll get Maura, she might know." He rushed into the house, where Maura was reading and drinking tea. Sarai followed him, and they both startled Maura. They told her what Sarai had seen, and she walked over to her computer.

"Hmm says here that the current Havoc leader is Major Austin, I know him. Wonder what they're doing here?"

Aric crossed to her, reading over her shoulder. "No clue but I'm sure we'll be seeing them. Maybe I should stay here instead of taking the kids with Corso?"

Maura shook her head, "No, I'll be fine if they show up here. Maybe it's just a R&R or maybe Garza sent messengers. Whichever, it'll be fine." She turned to put her arms around his neck. "They're not here to take us back, love. It's okay." She grinned at him, and he bent his head to kiss her, both of them forgetting that Sarai was there for a moment.

She smiled at the two, and went to the kitchen to make caffa, calling on the force for a little calm. She got the machine started, and walked out to the speeder to get Calleigh and Colin's gifts. She'd just returned to the house when they felt the military armored vehicle rumble up the drive. "See?" Maura said, "I knew they'd visit." She smiled at Aric, who was a little nervous about the sudden appearance of Havoc squad. They stood at the door as the major approached them.

"Major Chantalle, Captain Jorgan?" At their nods, the man continued. "Major Austin here. We were sent to offer our support in the protection of General Garza's daughter, and wanted to stop here first to let you know we're on the job. Are there any further orders on this mission?" Aric and Maura looked at each other.

"We're looking into associates of both the Senator and her dead husband, to see what might turn up there," Maura said, "and there are a number of well known protesters and such that we're running background on." She looked over the major's shoulder at the others in the squad, who were looking curiously at the former and current Havoc squad commanders as they talked. "I would be thankful to know that at least her physical quarters were secure." The major nodded in agreement.

"That's our current mission. Sorry to barge in on you like this, but comms are so unsecure, we'd rather have these discussions face to face." Maura nodded at that.

"Why don't you all come in for caffa and cookies? You can't get off planet for at least a few hours anyway." The major blushed, but turned to give the command to his squad, and they gratefully accepted the offered respite.

"I'll let Corso know that I won't be there, " Aric whispered to his wife. "I want to see what these guys know." She nodded, and Aric went to message Corso with the latest developments, still wondering why an elite squad would be taking this mission. They'd done a couple like this when he and Maura were in Havoc, but not many, and it was to further a larger mission goal. He then wondered if there was a bigger objective involved here than finding someone who was threatening Senator Aimes. Corso replied to his message immediately, "No worries, Aric. Looks like rain is on the way anyway, probably not going. Why is Havoc there?" I wish I knew,Cor, Aric thought. I wish I knew.


	5. Chapter 5

Corso looked at the datapad, Miriah asleep on his chest. What the void was Havoc doing here, he wondered. He figured they were on the way to Balmorra and stopped to check in, but it seemed out of their way. He absently played with the loose black hair trailing over his arm, thinking about the widowed Senator and her child, and again wondered what had occurred between Felix and Zenith. He felt Miriah start to wake, and was brought out of his thoughts by her mouth on his. She pulled back to look at him, and he held her in place, not yet done tasting her, pulling her back to him. They were enjoying each other's attentions when the first boom of thunder hit, and they knew they'd be dealing with frightened children. Sure enough, they heard Devin yell for his daddy about the time they heard Michi cry. They each went to a child and met in the living room, where they got the tears under control and went into the kitchen for cookies. Devin smiled at his mom, grabbing her hand when she put cookies in front of him.

"Rain," he told her, and she nodded.

"Yes, rain, sweetie." His vocabulary grew every single day, she thought, and he uses words very well for his age.

He pointed at his cousin, "Mish," he called her. "Not like it. Scary." He turned his brown eyes to his mom and said, "Love you, mama." She grinned at him.

"Love you too, Dev, and Mish too," she told him. The kids munched on their cookies, everyone warm and dry, and Corso caught her behind the counter for a quick kiss, and bent to whisper to her.

"To be continued," he said, his warm breath making her shiver in anticipation, and her slow grin making him grin back as she nodded. She looked back at the kids to see Devin giving Michi part of his last cookie. When she walked over, Devin looked at her with those beautiful brown eyes.

"Mama, Mish stay here?" he asked, hopeful. He loved all his cousins, but Calleigh and Colin had a bond that he was outside of.

"For a while, baby," she told him, kissing his head, which made him giggle.

"Mish baby, Devin big boy," he told her, and she agreed. She got them cleaned up and they were off to the playroom. Maybe sooner than I thought, she mused. Just maybe, though. When Corso is out on the ranch for extended periods it would be hard to have two, but it's sweet that Devin seems so protective of Michi, she thought. Mags will love hearing about this. She didn't call her sister though, hoping she was still sleeping.

Magdalane was indeed still sleeping, though the thunder had Felix up. He was looking out the window when he felt his wife behind him, slipping her arms around him and resting her head on his back. He turned to take her in his arms. "Sleep well, sweetheart?"

She nodded, still groggy. He held her there for a few minutes, then led her to sit and went to make her some tea. There was a chill in the air with the rain, and on the way back to where he'd left her, he picked up a soft throw from a nearby chair. Her eyes were closed when he approached, but she opened them when he got near. "Thanks, sweetie, so much. You take such wonderful care of me, always have." She smiled at him, seeming fresher and more alert than she had even a few minutes ago. "We should go to get Michi soon, I'm sure Miriah is getting tired." He nodded.

"I'm missing her too, hon." He rose to put his boots back on and she met him at the door, both anxious to have their daughter with them.

When they arrived at the ranch, the kids were playing in front of the fireplace, which was crackling with a low fire, providing cozy warmth against the rain. Miriah was pulling yet another batch of cookies from the oven, and Corso was in his office, working on his breeding program. The scene was very serene and it made Mags smile to see it. She grabbed a still warm cookie and hummed her pleasure as it melted on her tongue.

"Your timing has always been impeccable," Miriah told her, laughing at her expression. She told the couple about the kids and how Devin had been with Michi, and they were impressed. Mags hugged the little boy to her as he ran past and Devin gave her a smacking kiss in return. She grinned as he went back take a toy to Michi, happy playing with her.

"He has such a sweet soul, Mir. So like his dad in that way. I hope Ian is like Felix, too." Miriah nodded at her sister, her mouth full of cookie too. The guys wandered in, drawn by the smells of sugar and vanilla, and they enjoyed the warm cookies and cold juice there in the cozy kitchen.

Maura and Aric stood on their porch, waving to Havoc squad as they pulled out, full of cake and cookies and caffa. Sarai smiled, those young men sure could put it away, she thought. Her daughters didn't realize what they'd be in for when those sweet little boys became teenaged eating machines, she thought. She turned to Aric, who was still looking puzzled. "Why now? Why would she send them now, when no further threats have been made, at least that we've been told about." He looked at Maura. "Maybe I'll go call the good General, see what's really going on." He turned and made for the holoterminal.

The secure connection made, he looked at the general and was startled by her appearance. She was stooped, and looked at him with worried eyes. What is going on? She never loses her military bearing, even off duty, he thought. "General, what's wrong? Are you ill?" he asked, concern in his voice and on his face.

"Jorgan, I have been poisioned, but I will recover. I was hoping to let few know about it, but I have reason to believe that it might be connected to my digging into Diedra's threats. I…I cannot stay with you here, but I will call tomorrow, when I'm feeling better." She disconnected abruptly, as was her custom, but not before he saw pain and fear on her face. He ran to find Maura, to tell her what he'd seen, and almost ran over both her and Sarai.

"We saw, Mom says she'll recover but it will take time. Let's all go to Mir's, we'll tell them about what's going on." He agreed, and before they went to get in the speeder he pulled her to him.

"We're going to need to be on alert, honey. Okay?" She turned her amber eyes to his, and kissed him.

They saw that Mags and Felix were already at the ranch, and hurried through the driving rain into the kitchen. Sarai had ridden in the covered speeder with them, and carried Colin inside. Calleigh was already in the floor with her cousins when they got in, and Colin joined them.

Aric sat them down around the worktable and told them about the Havoc squad visit and the poisoning of the general, and they were stunned into silence. Finally Miriah spoke, "I want to know what Zenith knows, and I want to know where Brock is and what he has to do with it." She looked at Corso and he nodded, agreeing with her assessment.

"He should be here tomorrow morning," Mags said, "depending on any delays, of course, in his departure. I haven't heard anything more from him." She took Felix's hand in hers, and he gently squeezed. He still felt a little apprehensive about it, but it was a relief to have Mags know what had happened. He looked at her watching the kids play, and knew that even if Zenith had confessed his feelings, it wouldn't have mattered. Mags was always mine, he thought, even before either of us would have realized it. The thought made him smile.

Maura was talking about how strange it had been to see the new Havoc squad, and how young they all were. "We were that young when we started there," Aric told her, "but they just looked younger, I guess. Not as seasoned, or experienced." He put his arm around Maura, "You still look as young as you did the first time I put eyes on you, on Ord Mantell." She grinned at him then, knowing he still saw her that way, and kissed his cheek.

Miriah laughed at that, but didn't comment. She had gotten up to start some dinner, focused on her task and glancing up at the kids every few minutes. Corso watched her, unnoticed. He saw the nervous energy, the wariness on her face, and rose to go to her. He stood behind her, and bent to whisper to her, "Relax, darlin'. I won't let anyone hurt you, I promise." Her silver eyes locked onto his, her fear moving to trust before she buried her head in his chest. She had seemed to be a primary target in the last year, but I will protect her, he thought, and put his arms around her.

Miriah had put together a simple but delicious dinner, and Corso helped her. Once the kids were taken care of and ready for bed, they sat to eat. The rain continued to pour down, and Miriah told them to just stay the night. They agreed, no one wanted to get wet and cold again, and they all chose a guest room. Miriah took Devin to his bed, and he patted her face, gave her a kiss, and was closing his eyes before he'd gotten fully stretched out. She left him and went to her own bed, finding herself getting tired, too. Corso met her in the hall, having reset the security system and checking it again. He put his arm around her, leading her to their bed. She grinned at him when she pulled him down on top of her, seeing his surprise and then pleasure. "Are you sure?" he breathed, since there were so many people in the house. She nodded, pulling his shirt over his head, her touch enough to immediately arouse him. He cupped her head in his large hands and kissed her senseless, her hands running over his upper body. Her eyes closed and her breathing quickened as he undressed her, his lips finding sensitive spots and sending waves of sensation through her.

Magdalane felt the frenzy of passion that was burning through her baby sister, and turned it to her own husband, who didn't complain about a thing. I can't resist her, in anything, Felix thought. He held her after she'd tired, and as she slipped in to sleep, he was thankful for her in his life, and told himself he'd be friendly toward Zenith, if it made things better for her. He grinned as he hugged her to him, finally feeling his son move inside her.

Corso held his wife to him, her eyes closed in sleep. He should have been sleeping too, but his thoughts kept him awake. He was running through the events of the day when he felt her shift and, looking down at her, saw her open her eyes and look up at him. "Sorry, cyare, I didn't mean to wake you," he said, as she scooted herself up to look into his eyes. She blinked slowly, then put her mouth on his, her eyes fluttering closed. She continued to kiss down his neck and chest and he groaned, forgetting about his worries and losing himself in her touch. They did finally sleep, Corso being awakened by Miriah's shivering against him. He reached for the comforter and covered her, holding her close, feeling her relax. She was still in that position when Devin came running into their room, the weak early morning sunlight telling them the rain had moved on. Corso groaned, not really ready to get up yet, and Miriah stirred against him, her warm softness making him want her again. Can't happen, he told himself, trying to gain control and keep his son from standing on his still drowsy wife.

"Dev, honey, shhhh. Give mama a minute to wake up," Miriah told him, her voice husky with sleep. She almost sat up, but at the last second realized she was still naked under the covers, and blushed.

"I've got him, love, take your time getting up," Corso told her, pulling clothes on as he got up. "We'll go get changed and start breakfast." He kissed her, then again, before taking the giggling child to his room, and Miriah almost went back to sleep when she realized she had a house full of people and Zenith was coming to Dantooine today. She reluctantly got up and showered, and met Corso in the kitchen with a kiss, Mags and Felix already up as well. Corso had things going and handed her a cup of hot chocolate and led her to the fireplace, where she sat while he cooked. The twins and Sarai came in next, followed a few minutes later by Maura and Aric. They gathered to eat, and still Miriah sat, he hands cupping her mug. "C'mon, Mir, you gotta eat something." She smiled at her husband, but didn't get up. He brought food to her, sitting on the hearth.

"I really don't want anything, sugar. Just not hungry," she told him, looking into his eyes.

"No more exercise unless you eat, you have to replace what we burn, love," he told her in a low voice, a smile on his face. She grinned at him, and took a few bites of the eggs he'd brought her. They were still grinning at each other when C2 appeared at the doorway.

"Master, you have a visitor. Senator Zenith has arrived."


	6. Chapter 6

Magdalane followed C2 to the door, and greeted her old crew member. "Zenith, I trust your journey here was pleasant?" She moved to let him into her sister's house, then wondered out loud, "How did you know we were here?"

"The trip was uneventful, and this is the home of your sister, yes?" She nodded, and he continued, "When you were not at your home, I guessed. You all work together, so I assume you will all have questions for me." She showed him into the living room, where the group had moved, Sarai staying with the kids. Miriah had gathered baked goods and caffa on a tray for the table, and Zentih gratefully accepted a cup, sitting with them.

"Now, before you ask questions, let me tell you what I can about Diedre and the threats. As you may already know, she was widowed about four years ago now. I have become…close, to both her and her son, who is six years old now." He blushed a little, looking down at his hands, then, after a sip of caffa, continued. "Diedre is very opinionated, and is one of the few who would like to keep Balmorra in the Republic these days. The Imps have sweet talked a quite a few of the officials and have had a lot of influence, especially this one Balmoraan who has tried, unsuccessfully, to be elected himself."

"Brock," Corso said, quietly, the pieces clicking into place for him. "Numen Brock is a stinking Imp now. Knew I should have killed him last year," he grumbled.

"You know of Brock?" Zenith asked, impressed. The Twi'lek had become a thorn in many sides. Aric explained a little of their experience with him, and Zenith sighed. "So you see, then, why we think he might be behind some of the threats. I only learned yesterday of the attack on the General, and I'm not sure who might have initiated that, but it came within hours of a vote- which passed, I might add- to allow three Republic outposts to be built on the planet." Aric thought about that for a few minutes, while the others asked about the safety of the Senator and her son.

"Havoc just left here yesterday for Balmorra, so are they there to provide additional security or to secure the new outposts?" he finally asked, trying to get a better idea of the strategy.

"Both," Zenith replied. "I have a feeling they may be there to find Brock as well, and haul him in." Aric nodded, that would make sense, he thought. He was still musing about this when Calleigh and Michi came from the playroom. Calleigh led the little girl to Magdalane, and turned to her little cousin.

"See, An' Mags is here. She not leave." Michi, tears drying on her face, reached for her mom, and Calleigh grinned at her dad. "I'm helping."

Magdalane thanked Calleigh, and got a hug, then lifted her daughter with some effort, Felix moving to help her. Michi was getting tired, morning nap time rapidly approaching.

"She's a beautiful child, Master Jedi. Her name is Michelina?" Zenith asked, and received a nod as Mags cuddled her daughter to her, feeling her fatigue. "And your next one is arriving soon?"

"In about five months," Mags told him, a soft smile on her face. "Our son."

"Congratulations to you both, then," Zenith said, turning to look at Felix for the first time since he'd arrived. Felix had stayed in the background, observing the Twi'lek and trying to soothe his temper, which, to his surprise, wasn't raging as it had been the last few months aboard the ship. Maybe I'm learning to let go, he thought, and put his arm around his wife, stroking the silver blonde hair of his daughter. Felix nodded to Zenith then, and felt a little better.

"Now, what can I tell you about the current situation on my planet?" Zenith asked, and for the next hour the group managed to get more information than they might have in a week of normal channels. Miriah turned to the Twi'lek , her question one she'd been pondering since yesterday.

"Who would have tried to poison the general?" she asked, looking at the senator's blue eyes with her own silver ones.

"Miriah, isn't it?" At her nod and smile, he continued, "I really can't be sure who might have done that, because we've learned over the years that even loyalty can be deceiving. There are several names that I'll send to your datapad that are worth investigating. I heard this morning that the general is recovered and back at her desk." He tapped his datapad and transferred the list. "You have quite beautiful eyes, Miriah, very unusual."

What is it with Balmorrans and my wife, Corso thought. He's flirting with her and I'm right here! He watched as Miriah blushed and put her hand on her husband's thigh.

"Thank you, Senator, and thank you for the information." She could feel Corso tense beside her at Zenith's words, but relax at her touch. He should know by now that I'm immune to that junk, she thought. Instead, she stood to replenish the tray, and had only taken a step when Corso stood to carry it for her. She followed him into the kitchen, and watched as he set the tray on the island counter and turned to her.

"I'm sorry, kitten. I tensed on reflex, but I have to wonder what the deal is with these Balmorran guys." He shook his head, looking at the floor, not wanting to meet her eyes if she were angry with him. She sighed instead.

"I don't know either, but I've had to put up with comments about my eye color all my life, sugar. I'm kinda used to it now." She refilled the tray and nodded to him, ready to rejoin the group. Instead of grabbing the tray, he grabbed her in a crushing hug. "Cor, baby, can't breathe here," she squeaked.

"Oh, sorry. I just needed to touch you, cyare." He kissed her head and picked up the tray and she followed to the others. Their discussion had moved into talking about the layout of the Senate building, and how they'd found many Imp listening devices in a sweep done just days ago. Aric was listening intently, and was making notes. Tanno will want to know this, he thought, I wonder if he has any contacts there? Of course, he does, he thought, grinning. He also saw that Felix had relaxed his guard stance a bit, taking Michi now to put in her crib.

Zenith stood to leave, having answered all their questions, and offered his hand to each of them until he got to Magdalane, whom he bowed slightly before with his hands clasped in front of him, a standard Jedi gesture of respect. "Master Magdalane, my best regards to you. You have truly found your path."

"The Force be with you, Senator. Safe travels," she replied, bowing in turn to him. His escort had waited outside for him, and he rejoined them for the journey back to the spaceport. As the entourage went down the muddy path to the main road, Aric turned to the group. "Tanno will be back tomorrow. Mom is moving the day after. I say, we talk to Garza, see if she's indeed doing okay, then table this, other than the searches we have in progress until we get more settled here. Agreed?" They nodded, and Miriah saw Mags gingerly sit, her hand on her belly.

"Mags, what's wrong," she asked her in a low voice, the others gathering the dishes and talking.

"Nothing, baby sister, just a very active little boy. I remember Devin being this active, too, must be a boy thing," she smiled, looking up at Miriah from the sofa. Miriah crouched and put Magdalane's feet on the sofa, removing her shoes and putting a pillow under her knees.

"There, that helped me when Dev would start the hutt ball moves." Their eyes met for a few seconds, then Mags, ever sensitive to the changes in her sisters, smiled.

"Yes, I know you want another, but you want to wait until Devin is older. I would have, if I could have afforded the time. You have plenty of that, Mir. Don't feel guilty about wanting to space them out." Miriah nodded, then hugged her sister. Mags always gets it just right, she thought. Maura saw them, and casually wandered over to check out what was going on.

"Okay you two, no keeping secrets or I'm telling Mom," Maura teased. They giggled together and Maura sat on the floor. "Everything okay, Mags?"

"Yeah, Ian is just jumping around a lot today. I'm sore, and a lot more tired than I was with Michi. I started the supplements Elara sent just yesterday, so not enough time for them to work." She sighed, and yawned.

"Rest, Mags. I'm going to start some lunch, you stay here and rest. We've got it." Miriah got up and went to the kitchen, where she told Sarai that Mags was resting.

"Good, " her mother responded. "She needs to rest more. What can I do to help you, sweetheart?" Miriah turned and hugged her mother, a rarity which caught Sarai completely off guard.

"Nothing, I'm fine here, going to put together a stew after I put a little more wood on the fire." She turned to see Corso already bringing in another armful of firewood, banking the fireplace and coming around the island to kiss her. "You read my mind, sugar, as usual," she told him, kissing him again. He gently rubbed his hands along her arms.

"It's chilly today, and I know you well enough to know you're cold, too," he told her, smiling into her eyes. "Us guys are going to the office for a bit, I think Maura is coming with us. We'll be back in a couple of hours. " She nodded, and turned back to the counter. "Miriah?" She turned to look at him, "I love you, darlin'." She found herself caught in his arms, felt the vague anxiety he carried.

"Love you, sugar. What's worrying you?" She felt his grip tighten on her, much as he'd done earlier.

"I don't know, just feel a little off kilter about all of this, I guess." She squeezed him back, and he kissed her head. Devin came around the corner then, grinning at them both.

"My mama, " he said, latching onto her leg. Corso picked him up, laughing.

"Mine first, little man, but I'll share her with you," he said, and they both laughed. He leaned to kiss Miriah gently, and then was off. Devin ran to the window and watched them all go, then turned to his mom.

"Mama, Dev go with?" His little face was hopeful, but dropped when his mom shook her head.

"No, sweetie, Daddy will be home in a little while. Colin and Calleigh are here, though, and we'll have lunch soon, okay?" He ambled back to her and hugged her leg. "Want to help?" He nodded, and she sat him on the counter. Sarai was with the twins, and she gave the little boy a bowl and some rice to stir around. He was content with that and soon Sarai brought the twins and Michi into the kitchen to join them.

The little ones fed and down for naps, the adults gathered for lunch. Magdalane had rested since Zenith left, and was feeling refreshed and more herself than she had in weeks. The office account had a few updates, which were easily handled, and Maura reviewed the searches they'd left working yesterday.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Maura responded when asked what they'd shown. Miriah frowned, wondering which parameters needed to be changed, when she had an idea.

"I'm sending Risha some of the names on both our list and the one Zenith sent me, see if she recognizes them from some of the Port's customers." She dished up the hearty stew, put toasted bread and salad on the table and sat.

"Great idea, Spitfire. They're close enough that the Port might just be a target rich environment." He pulled Maura over to the table, pulling out a chair for both her and Sarai. Felix did the same for Mags and Miriah, and Corso brought tea and glasses to the table.

Miriah actually felt hungry, and ate a normal meal, for a change. Corso noticed, and felt relieved, always worried about her to some degree. He kept touching her, just a graze here or a brush there, but she noticed he was paying close attention to her, which, while not exactly unusual, was more evident. She didn't comment on it, choosing instead to just wait. Once lunch was done and C2 was cleaning up, they adjourned to the living room, too cool for outside. Maura and Aric decided to take the twins home, even though they were sleeping, and Mags was ready as well.

"We loved having you guys," Miriah told them, helping Mags get her gear bag in the speeder. Magdalane hugged her, thanked her, and told her to go pay attention to her husband.

"He's anxious, about you for some reason, " she told her little sister, and Miriah nodded. She went back inside their now very quiet house, and found Corso putting more wood on the fire. She walked over and crouched beside him, and when his hands were free she pulled him down to lie in front of the now warm fire.

"Okay, sugar. What's going on? Even Mags said you were anxious, and I'm fine." She looked at him as he blushed, but wouldn't let it go.

"I don't know, Mir, you know I hate Brock, and now Zenith flirting. I know you dismiss it, but it makes me anxious, especially since lately you've received too much unwanted attention." He put his arm under her head and drew her close. "This is nice, " he said, and she murmured agreement. He was dozing off when he heard her datapad chime, and she was snuggled up to him, sleeping. It'll wait, he thought, and closed his eyes again.

Rish's message, of her sighting of Brock and several of his contacts, went unnoticed.


	7. Chapter 7

Maura and Aric arrived home to see Tanno Vik just getting off a speeder. Aric went to him, clapping him on the back. "You're early, mate. No hunting?"

Tanno blushed, and looked at Maura, who was getting the kids out of the speeder, Calleigh rubbing her eyes. "Didn't hunt, boss. Met someone before I got there." Aric looked at the big Weequay, a little surprised.

"A female someone? Really?" Tanno's blush deepened.

"Figured you'd think that was okay, boss. I never figured a girl would go for a big ugly thing like me, but I guess stranger things have happened." He shrugged and turned to go help Maura with his "little people."

"Wait, Vik. I am happy for you, truly. Will we get to meet her?" Aric was trying to be supportive but was still shocked that Tanno would have told him about this. Plus, he was back a day early. That didn't bode well.

"Maybe. She works at the inn in town, and I know about Havoc squad being here from her. I know it sounds crazy, even to me. I just wanted to use our computers to run her before I get in too deep, you know? She could be just into me for what she can learn about what we do here." He looked at his large feet, then back at his boss. "I just want to know for sure."

Aric nodded at him, he understood the need for security and moved to shake Tanno's hand. The large man took the Cathar's hand and looked at him with a question on his face. "I appreciate your checking things out before it gets too complicated. And, let me know what you find, okay?" Tanno nodded and trotted off to greet the kids, who loved him. Well, well, he thought. The big guy found a girl. He grinned to himself. Good for him. He went to Maura and kissed her as she watched Tanno push the kids in the swings.

"Well hello, husband. You're staying out here while I cook, right?" She sounds weary, he thought, and pulled her into a hug.

"Maybe I go inside and help you." She gave him a puzzled look, trying to figure out what he was really saying. "I can entertain you while you cook." She grinned then.

"You're on. Hey, Tanno," she called, then pointed inside. Tanno nodded, he was perfectly happy playing with the children. She led Aric into the kitchen, getting just inside the door before he kissed her, pushing her against the wall, one hand sneaking under her shirt. They were enjoying each other when Maura remembered the kids. She whispered to her husband, who felt so good pressed against her, "Easy, lover, the kids are right outside, and you know this won't be quick or quiet." He groaned and put his head on her shoulder, his breaths ragged.

"I love them, I truly do, but I miss having you to myself sometimes," he told her, as she adjusted her clothes. "You seem tired, honey, so go lie down for a bit. I'll throw something together for dinner," he told her, kissing her temple. "Besides, you'll need energy for later." He patted her bottom as she walked away, which earned him a sly look over her shoulder. He was humming to himself when Tanno and the kids came inside, looking for cookies. Tanno joined him at the counter when the kids were settled, and he told the big guy about the senator's visit.

"Yeah I'll hit up some of the guys I know there, should get some better intel that way. The Captain should get Risha to check the Port out, too." Aric was nodding and told him she already had sent the lists. "Well, I'm going to run to the office, use the secure terminals. See you tomorrow."

Aric joined the kids at the table. "Mama is resting, and you two monkeys are going to let her, okay?" They nodded, their mouths full, then took off to the playroom. He looked in the living room at Maura, resisting the urge to go to her, and got one of the casseroles Miriah had sent over out of the freezer. Once he had the kitchen stuff done, he went out to see if Maura was still sleeping. Of course, the kids did the best they could, but when he walked out he heard Maura's voice reading to them, and he just shook his head. Maura looked at him as he walked in, and when she finished the book, Colin and Calleigh went to watch a holovid, dinner almost ready.

"Smells terrific, hon. One of Mir's?" she asked, getting a nod in return. She chuckled and kissed him as he leaned over her.

"Did they let you sleep at all?" he asked, his eyes studying her face. She looked rested and was smiling at him.

"They did, thanks, love. Calleigh was concerned that I was sick, she had to make sure." She stroked his cheek, looking into his green eyes, seeing them darken with his desire for her. "Soon, love, soon," she told him, kissing him as the kids laughed in the background. He settled for lying across her lap while they waited for dinner.

Corso took Devin outside to the barn for a bit when he woke from his nap, and Miriah and Sarai sat in the kitchen, drinking tea. "Mom, it's going to seem strange not having you here when you move. I love your house though, should be easier to clean and such than the one on Tython. How are you doing, being here?"

"I thought I'd miss things, like the temple and friends, but you girls fill me with joy on a daily basis. You all make time for life around the work, and I never learned to do that." She sighed, "if I had, you would have had a much better childhood. And I love being around all the grandbabies." Her face softened into a smile at the thought.

Miriah stood to walk to her datapad, intending to send a message to Corso to bring some things from the storage barn, when she saw Risha's response to her sent a few hours ago.

_Mir, these guys are here all the time. That Kelden guy? Rents one of the rooms upstairs. Had to send Bow after them when they didn't pay their tab. Come on out here, we'll take them all out at once. Or just come see your best friend. Rish_

Miriah pondered the message. Since she'd inherited Port Nowhere, the infamous smuggler hangout, she'd only been there twice. Once to asses it, and once to sign the paperwork giving Risha half of it. She turned to her mother, telling her she would go out to meet Corso instead, and set off. She'd just gotten off the deck when she spotted Corso coming across the field, Devin in his arms. She smiled, it was good to see them together, and started toward them. Dev was chattering away when he saw her, and at his yelled "Mama!", Corso put him down and he ran to her. The force and speed at which he hit her legs had her stumbling and the uneven ground proved no help. She went down hard, her right shoulder taking the brunt of the landing. She heard Devin start to cry and felt Corso running over the pasture ground to her. He knelt beside her, not sure whether to laugh or be concerned.

"Miriah, love? Ah, ah, stay still. Let me see," he looked her over, running his hands along her arms. "Can you sit, slowly?" She did, noting the pain in her shoulder, and reached for Devin.

"Is he hurt? Devin, are you okay?" The little boy was still crying, and he crawled up her legs.

"Mama falled. Hurt?" He still had tears caught in his thick eyelashes, and turned his concerned eyes to her.

"I'm alright, Dev, but you have to move so I can stand up, okay?" He nodded, and she attempted to rise, only her ankle refused to participate. "Cor, sugar, can you-" He swept her up in his arms, and with careful steps carried her to the house, Devin sniffling behind him. "Just put me at the table, and grab an ice pack from the freezer." Corso did as she asked, and when she was set, Devin crawled into her lap, his little arms going around her neck.

"So sorry, Mama. Love you," he told her, patting her back. She stroked his back, and down his head. He sighed, his little face downcast at the thought he'd hurt her.

"I'm okay, Dev, but you're a big strong boy, you need to be careful running into people like that." He nodded, sniffling. She saw one lone tear track down his little face and rubbed it away with her thumb before kissing his forehead. He buried his head in her shoulder and she winced.

"Daddy mad?" he asked, turning those deep brown eyes to his father's.

"No, son," Corso replied in a gentle voice. "But we have to be careful with Mama, okay?" Devin nodded, patted her face, and got down to play, subdued but content. "Now, kitten, I'm cooking, you're sitting, got it?"

"First I need to get out of these muddy wet clothes, think you can handle that?" she asked him with a wicked grin. He grinned back and scooped her up out of the chair, taking her to their room and quickly stripping her pants off and over the swollen ankle. The ice was beginning to work, though, and she tested it gingerly, pulling him to her.

"No, no, and I never thought I'd say that to you, but until you can walk normally, you're cut off, lady." She pouted for a second, then spoke.

"In that case, can you please get me a little kolto from the med room? My shoulder is throbbing."

"Stars, Mir, you never said a word about your shoulder. Let me see," he told her, pulling her shirt up. "Damn, kitten, just…hang on." He left abruptly and quickly returned, two fresh ice packs and a kolto injector in his hands. "Put something soft and comfortable on, you're staying here." He handed her one of his shirts, her favorite thing to wear around the house, and some pajama pants. When she was dressed and set with the ice packs, he propped her up with pillows and slowly injected the kolto into her thigh. She felt the throb of her shoulder recede and the floaty feeling of the kolto infuse her system. Her eyes drifted shut, but not before he saw the relief in them. He gently straightened her on the pillows, checked the ice packs and went back to check on Devin.

Sarai had already pulled some dinner from the fridge for the little boy, who was eating but seemed forlorn. Corso sat beside him, watching him eat. "Dev, Mama is fine, okay. It was just an accident. I used to have them all the time." He watched as the little boy turned his eyes to his dad, a little ray of hope in them. He nodded, "Sure did. We have to learn from what happened and try to not do it again. That's all. No one is mad or upset, okay, little man?" The solemn little face nodded, and looked down again.

"Love Mama," he said, his little voice husky like hers, and Corso saw a tear fall onto the table.

"Ah, Dev, she loves you too, so much, buddy." He lifted the child in his arms and felt the tears fall, the little boy's concern for his mom combined with the time of day to make him more emotional. Corso continued to tell him he was a good boy, a smart boy, and that his mama and daddy loved him, gently rocking him in his arms. He felt him finally give up to sleep, the last tears still on his little face. Sarai crossed and placed a tender kiss on her grandson's head, and Corso took him to his bed. On the way back to cook for everyone else, he stopped to check on Miriah. She was still out, he saw, and joined Sarai in the kitchen.

Sarai had already pulled some fish out, knowing it was Miriah's favorite, and had it baking with some spices. Corso hugged her, thanking her. It had been a long day, he thought, and said that aloud. Sarai agreed, patting his shoulder. "She'll be fine in a few hours, dear. I've seen her suffer worse things and bounce right back up." He nodded, and saw the datapad on the table. "She was going out to show you a message from Risha on that," she pointed at the device. He picked it up and read the message, and walked to the holo to call Aric.

Aric was still sprawled on Maura when he heard the holo chime. I wasn't kissing her, he thought, figuring it was Garza. Corso's blue image wavered before him, and Aric grinned.

"Hey man, why do you have mud all over you?" He saw Corso startle, and look down at himself, sighing.

"Devin knocked Miriah over in the mud, I carried her to the house. Now I have to go around and see what else I got it on and get it cleaned up before she wakes up from the kolto." Aric lost his grin and concern replaced it.

"Kolto? How badly is she hurt?" At that statement, Maura ran over to them.

"Just an ankle sprain and shoulder bruise. Dev was upset, but they'll both be fine tomorrow. I was calling to tell you that Rish has seen all the guys on the list we sent. Apparently, the Port has been their meeting spot." Aric pondered this for a moment.

"Maybe she can listen in on the next conclave, and let us know when they next plan to be there." Corso nodded.

"I think I'll call her tomorrow, see if there's a pattern on when they use their accounts there," he said. "Just wanted to let you guys know."

Maura spoke up, "Cor? Thanks for taking such good care of Miriah." She smiled at him, and he blushed as they disconnected. "Poor Dev. I bet he was just shocked when she fell over." Aric nodded, and called the kids for dinner.

Miriah opened her eyes to Corso sitting on the bed beside her, a tray in his hand. He took fresh ice packs and replaced the melting ones, then put food in front of her. She still felt woozy, but the smell of the food was enticing her, and she took a bite, then another. Corso had said nothing, but was smiling at her. Finally he spoke.

"I saw Risha's message, love. I think we should call her tomorrow." She nodded, chewing. He was glad to see her eating, and didn't want to distract her. He waited until she'd taken a few more bites. "How are you feeling now?"

"Better, sugar. You make a pretty good field medic, I think." She winked at him, and he took her hand. She had finished all he'd brought, and he was about to go for more when Sarai came in to check on her daughter, cheesecake in hand. "Oh! Perfect, Mom! Thanks, both of you, for getting dinner and dealing with Dev. Is he okay?"

"He's sleeping, he was a little upset but he's fine now." Corso stood to take the empty tray out, and Sarai sat beside her daughter.

"It was so sweet, Mir. Dev was upset and Corso just kept telling him he was a good boy, and that it was an accident. It touched my heart, watching them. Now, let me see that shoulder." Miriah sat forward for her mom to look at the bruise. "It's healing nicely, only a little more ice time and maybe another kolto dose, if you think you can stand another." Miriah nodded, but asked her to hold off for a little while on it, and Sarai agreed. Corso returned when Sarai was looking at her ankle, her practiced hands moving over the purple skin. He caught his breath when he saw it.

"Miriah, you need to let me scan that," he said, and before she could object, he'd pulled a scanner from a pocket and swept it over her foot. "Yep, see? That says 'broken bone x 2', right there! "

"Okay, it's okay, sugar. I'll take another kolto dose in a little bit, it will be healed by morning," she told him, her voice soothing and unstrained. He sighed, worried again. "Come here, you," she said, pulling him to sit on her other side. "It was an accident, I'm fine, or will be very soon. Please, love, just don't stress about it."

Yeah, sure, he thought. Just like the dozens of other times. He tried to reason the scowl away, and found that if he just looked at her and saw that she was truly okay, he could deal with it. Sarai left them after a bit of chatting, and he did his best to get Miriah settled for sleep before giving her another injection of kolto. He watched her face as the drug infused her, seeing her relax. As she drifted under, she whispered, "I love you, forever." And he held her as she slept and healed, her heart beating a reassuring rhythm in his ear.


	8. Chapter 8

Miriah woke, blinking in the darkness, Corso's arms around her. She was closing her eyes again when she felt little hands pat her face. "Hey Dev, it's not morning, sweetie."

"Miss Mama," he said, in his hoarse whisper. She grinned at him and pulled him onto their bed, where he snuggled into her body and fell immediately asleep again. She felt Corso's arms tighten around her, pulling her closer to him, and they all slept, content.

By morning, the kolto had done its job well, and Miriah walked without a limp into the shower after she'd changed their son and left him with Sarai in the kitchen. Corso was still in his deep sleep, and she glanced back at his relaxed form. She knew he'd reach for her eventually, not find her, and it would rouse him. For now, he was resting peacefully. She reached for the water and turned it hot, her muscles still a little sore and stiff. She was rinsing out her hair when her husband joined her, kissing her throat.

"Morning, gorgeous," he told her. "Ankle okay?" She nodded, her arms encircling his waist.

"Mom's cooking breakfast, her stuff is landing today." She was placing light kisses on his chest.

"So what you're saying is that we don't have time to play, but you're still kissing me?" He pulled her chin up to kiss her lips, stifling her giggle. "You little minx, now the only thing on my mind will be you, darlin'," he told her.

"Then my evil plan is working," she laughed, hopping out of the steam and wrapping a towel around herself. She was untangling her hair when she felt him embrace her from behind, and turned to him. He was ready for her, and kissed her thoroughly, making her rethink teasing him further. When they could breathe again, she kissed his nose and dried her hair, her eyes never leaving his. They went into the kitchen that way, and Sarai blushed at the energy they were putting out.

"Sorry, Mom," they both said, seeing her discomfort. They sat to eat and were discussing the logistics of getting stuff into the smaller house when Aric, Tanno and Felix showed up, all to help the moving process. Sarai had packed food and drinks into a large cooler and Tanno hefted it out to the speeder. Once they were all set, Sarai took off with the guys. Miriah and her sisters would come later, for the unpacking part after the heavy lifting.

They were hip deep in boxes and wrapping when Miriah's holo started to beep. Risha was on the other end, and seemed excited about something. "Hey Rish, what's going on out there?"

"Mir, remember the little list you sent me? In doing some amateur detecting, they should be here the end of the week. What are you waiting for, girl? Fire up the ship and haul jets!" Miriah grinned at her friend, she'd missed seeing Risha every day, but the future queen of Dubrillion was doing a fantastic job with their joint venture. She and her husband, Rick, were very happy there. "Bring the handsome one, and I guess Corso can come along," she giggled, and Miriah laughed.

"I'll tell the group, we may just do that, Rish. It would be good to see you." She looked carefully at her friend, seeing that she looked relaxed and healthy. Married life agreed with her, Miriah thought. She chatted for a minute, then disconnected. She worked along, helping with the unpacking, until they took a lunch break. It was then that she told the group about talking to Risha. Maura exchanged looks with Miriah, and Miriah finally nodded. "Yeah, I guess we're going to the Port. But I don't know about you, Mags, how do you think you'll tolerate travel now?"

"I should be just fine. I never had any trouble with Michi, so I don't think I would now," she stated, rubbing her belly. "Ian seems to be settling a bit now, at least." Felix smiled at her, noting how gently she touched their son. Miriah grinned at them both, remembering the wonder of a child growing, and how much Corso had cherished her changing shape.

"Okay then, let's leave later today. Mom, you want to go with us? You're most welcome to." Miriah glanced at her mother, standing in the doorway, sipping her cup of tea.

"Why not? I'm in," she smiled, and the girls all cheered. They set about trying to unpack everything they could, and got a majority of Sarai's things unwrapped and placed before setting off to grab gear for the trip. Miriah and Corso had just put their duffles into their quarters aboard ship when they heard the argument outside the airlock.

"No, Mags, you are taking the stateroom. No questions. I can bunk in the crew area with Aric and Maura, or in the kids room even. You need rest, dear." Sarai was standing her ground, but Mags was just as stubborn.

"Mom, I can sleep anywhere. Ask Felix. I can be just as happy in a crew bunk as I can anywhere. You just moved today, you've got to be tired." Miriah looked at the two jedi, and turned to go back up the ramp. Corso stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"Aren't you going to say something?"

"No, they're adults, they'll figure it out. Besides, the only thing I could do is offer them our quarters, and I really had plans for them, sugar," she told him with a wink. He blushed but followed her up the ramp to the bridge. The whole group was on board an hour later, Magdalane finally graciously accepting the private quarters for the trip out, Sarai for the trip back. Miriah rolled her eyes at them.

"Well, we really ought to kick you two out of the big quarters, " Mags teased. Miriah shrugged, unfazed.

"Whatever. I'm going to do what I'm going to do anyway, so if you guys really want a show.."

"Oh stars, Mir, never mind," Mags scolded, and Miriah had to laugh. They would be entering hyperspace shortly, the kids were down for the night, and the women had been sitting in the lounge, chatting. "You know, Mir, I had a thought. You're going to be instantly recognizable in the Port. What are we going to do about that?"

"Not sure yet, but we'll think of something. I think it wouldn't be unusual for me to be there, but I know what you mean, Brock knows us. Some disguise might be needed. We won't be advertising the fact that we're there, though." She leaned back on the sofa, a glass of wine in her hand. "I'm so glad the kids all get along, there's not much for them to do up there. I think they should stay on the ship as much as possible, just to keep everyone safe." Maura and Mags agreed. "Mags, you should take things easy too, there are some shops on the promenade but they're more geared to spacers than anything else. Weapons, booze, armor, things like that. Risha told me there was a sweets shop now that she's renting space to, and a boutique for the women, so that will be interesting to see. It's been awhile since I've been here, before Dev was born, anyway."

"Speaking of Dev, didn't I tell you he was going to bowl you over one day? I bet he took it hard, though," Maura told her. "He told me he 'made Mama falled and hurted her', and it touched my heart how upset he was. You have to bulk up, sister."

"He really was," Sarai said. "Corso had to reassure him it was an accident, and that accidents happen sometimes." She was sitting with Mags, feeling the grandson growing there with the force.

Corso had put the ship in the hyperlane, and then joined the women in the lounge, sitting next to his wife. The conversation continued into getting Sarai's house in order, getting Michi into a toddler bed, and the twin's current growth rate. Corso found himself drifting into his own thoughts, and saw that his wife was leaning on him. He put his arm around her shoulders, and she settled into his side, her eyes only half open.

"I'm taking this one to bed, she's almost out now," he said, smiling at his drowsy wife. He followed her to their quarters, insisting that she rest.

"But we had plans," she said, yawning. He chuckled at her, pulling a nightshirt over her and hugging her close.

"So we postpone them, no harm done, kitten." He kissed her forehead, pulled the covers over her, and held her as she closed her eyes. He was asleep too, not long after. Neither was surprised when Miriah woke him up a few hours later, spending the time in hyperspace loving each other was a time honored tradition with them, and her cries of pleasure woke no one anymore. When they rested, she traced the scar on his cheek with her fingertip.

"I'm sorry, sugar, but you must know by now that I'm addicted to you. I can only go so long without your hands on me, without your lips on me, or I'll go mad." She traced her fingers lightly down his collar bone. "If you want, I'll let you sleep now." She looked up at him, her silver eyes bright under those midnight lashes, her full lips slightly open. He claimed her mouth, her words having ignited his blood again. This time, when they were resting, he told her what he was feeling.

"You make me feel special, like there's no one like me," he told her. She nodded her head against his chest.

"There is no one like you, not for me, sugar. You are very special. Loved, valued, cherished- all words to describe you. Mine. That's my favorite," she told him, a satisfied smile on her face. "Mine." He held her close, and they slept, entwined in each other. They woke only when Maura came bursting into their quarters.

"See, they're still alive, just lazy," she said. "And, they don't even use all the bed. We could have slept on the other half." She eyed her sister's back, what she could see between the muscular arms that held her.

"You want to come to bed with us, Maura? Well, not sure I'm into sharing that much, but…."

"Ew, no, you freak. We're out of hyperspace, and I can't dock this big ship on the Port, which we should be near in about an hour." Miriah could feel how uncomfortable Corso was with her sister standing there, and told Maura they'd be out in a few minutes. She finally left, snickering.

Miriah met her sister on the bridge, where Aric sat in the left seat, monitoring the navcomp. "And just fyi, we do use the whole bed, believe me. We just sleep on a small section." She grinned at her sister, which made them laugh and Aric blush.

"Way more than I wanted to know, Spitfire. Way more." He focused ahead so that he wouldn't laugh too. Corso had gone to check on Devin, who'd been fed and was happily playing with his cousins. Mags looked rested and was sitting in the galley as he went to the caffa machine.

"Don't let Maura being silly make you uncomfortable, Cor. " She watched as his blush faded, and he sipped his caffa. He nodded, and spoke with the gravel of sleep still in his voice.

"I can't even think of anything to say to that. You know Mir, she's always got a smart remark, but not me." He looked into his cup, as if inspiration would spark there.

"She's always been like that. Got her in trouble as much as it saved her, " Mags told him, refilling her tea. "I'm worried about her being recognized here, Corso. More, that Brock or one of his cronies will recognize her and cause trouble. " He nodded.

"Yeah, I thought about that too. I'm going to try to convince her to stay either here or in the offices, definitely not in the cantina. Risha is aware of our concern too, and I sent her a message that we were almost there, and would be docked in the secure bay," he said, motioning to his datapad. Aric joined them then, refilling his own mug.

"Sorry 'bout not helping with the kiddos this morning," Corso said, and Aric clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, no problem. You guys take ours enough, we owe you anyway," Aric told him, taking a long drink from the steaming mug, propped on the counter. "Wanted to voice my concerns about Spitfire being recognized."

"We were just discussing that. We know Brock would know her, do you think that she might get something from him, some tidbit of info that he might let slip?" Mags was hopeful, but wanted her sister safe.

"No, no way. He'll be so afraid Corso will put a blaster bolt into him he probably wouldn't even speak to her," Aric said, remembering the events of last year. Corso agreed.

"Actually, given the circumstances of this meeting, I think Maura is the perfect candidate to eavesdrop. Brock only saw her once, and we can disguise her as a part of the cantina staff. Mags, well, Mags, you're always a Jedi, no matter what you're wearing. Mir's eyes are just too distinctive to disguise, and let's face it, us guys are going to get nowhere with him." Corso had thought this out, and had planned to make this pitch when they docked. "As much as I hate to say this, and please don't hit me, Aric," he looked at the Cathar, who frowned at him. "Maura should pose as a dancer and see what she can hear," he rushed out, then braced for the backlash.

"That's actually not a bad idea, at all," Aric said. "I kinda like it, in fact. It would give us the intel on the meeting, without anyone having to actually try to pry it out of them. And, I get to see Maura in a dancer's costume." He grinned, thinking he'd like to see this pitched to his wife, who wouldn't see it quite the same way.

"You want me to do WHAT?!" Maura was shouting now, at them all. Miriah was grinning and nodding her head, working through the logistics that Corso had been pondering for two days now.

"That will work," Miriah said, looking at her sister. "I have a costume, too, that Risha gave me and I've never worn. Didn't have the, uh, assets for it." She smiled at Maura. "You, dear sister, do indeed." Maura turned a pleading look to Aric, who held his hands up in front of him.

"It's an excellent plan, honey. It gives us intel without anyone getting personally involved with Brock or his associates." He stood there, his arms crossed over his chest, grinning. Maura sighed, knowing she'd do it, but not looking forward to it.

"Aric and Felix will be at a nearby table, and Mir and I will be close by but not visible. I promise, Maura, one strange move by Brock and he'll be a corpse," Corso told her.

Corso would like nothing more than to put that guy down, Mir thought as she went to dig out the costume. Maura followed her, still stunned. "Do you really think this will work?"

"I do, " Miriah replied. "I've posed as a dancer before, guys think you're invisible as far as how they talk. You're just a part of the trappings, not a person. It's like being furniture." Maura glumly thought about it, then sighed and took the costume from her sister. They heard the proximity claxon, and went to the bridge, where Corso was docking the ship onto the Port.

Risha met them, excited to see them all, and told them, "They're here, just got here. Who's the undercover?"

They pointed at Maura, and Risha spotted the costume. "Excellent! I had someone quit last week." She grinned, taking Maura by the arm. "Let's get you suited up."


	9. Chapter 9

Risha led Maura to a back room, then emerged with her, and if Miriah hadn't known that was her sister, she wouldn't have recognized her. The makeup, costume and wig combined to secure Maura's identity from anyone, even those who knew her well. Aric's eyes bugged out, and he had to hear her voice to be sure that was his wife.

"Damn, Maura, it IS you, I wasn't sure for a minute." He walked around her, obviously enjoying seeing more of her than he usually did in public. "And, honey, rest assured my eyes will be on you the whole time." She glared at him, uncomfortable with being examined so openly.

"You better get used to the stares, Maura," Miriah told her. "It's gonna happen a lot out there. If anyone touches you, though, you have a remote here," she pointed to the middle of her breasts, where there was a hard, plastic piece. "That signals the bouncers, and they'll take care of the offender." She put a thin bracelet on her sister's arm. "This will record the audio as well as send it to our relays, so we can hear what you hear. Ready?"

"No," Maura replied, "but let's get this over with." She followed Miriah and Risha to the nearby stage door.

"Those guys usually try for a corner table, so I've put you on that station, Maura," Risha told her, pointing to the far left. "You'll get a ten minute break every hour, and you can rest for a moment between songs. You do know how to dance, right?" Maura grumbled in response, but walked with her head up to the indicated spot. The music had stopped for a moment and she scanned the crowd. It was still early in the day, so there weren't a lot of patrons. No Twi'leks, she noted. The music stared up, a slow, sensuous number, and she started to move, mimicking the other dancers.

Aric and Felix parked themselves at a table not too far away, Felix with his back to Maura and Aric in full view_. I'd be surprised if there's not smoke coming from my ears, _he thought_, this will be an exquisite torture to watch my Maura and not be able to touch her_. He shook his head, trying to stay focused.

By the end of the first hour, Maura had a new respect for the dancers she'd taken for granted were having fun. She hurt in places she wasn't aware of before, and her ten minute break wasn't nearly long enough. By the time she got a meal break, she'd decided she wasn't going out there anymore, damn the mission. Miriah saw her face and ran to meet her as she approached the back room.

"Here, hon, let me help." Miriah sat Maura down, gave her a plate of food, and started to massage a cream with a small amount of numbing agent on her legs, feeling the muscles spasm at her touch. The guys stayed put, not wanting to give themselves away.

"I can't do this, Mir, I'm dying out there," Maura told her, her eyes full of the pain she was feeling.

"I know, it's not an easy life," Miriah told her. "When you're done eating, I'm going to show you some tricks I picked up, that'll help with the fatigue." The sisters sat and talked, and Maura began to feel better. "Okay, girl, now, when you're doing this move, bend your knees a little, like this. It'll keep you from pulling those ligaments around your knees." Corso walked up as Miriah was showing Maura these tricks, and had to stop and stare. Maura in her dancer's costume was enticing, and then there was his wife in black leather. He had to consciously stifle a groan. Miriah is always sensual, he thought, and now she's got Maura moving the same way. Aric will spontaneously combust, he thought, chuckling to himself.

Maura retook her spot, and had only been dancing for a few minutes when a Nikto grabbed her ankle. She pressed the remote, and before she could say anything to him, he was being thrown across the room by Bowdaar, who roared at him for good measure. The crowd, which had grown, laughed at the guy stupid enough to touch a dancer, and returned to their food and drinks. Aric twitched, and Felix put his hand on his friend's arm.

"She's fine, Aric, threat eliminated. Bow's got it under control. Relax." Aric tried, but when he saw Brock enter and make his way to their side of the room, he tensed further. He looked at Maura, who was really, really getting good at this, he thought, and saw that she'd noticed Brock as well. The Twi'lek made his way over to the table Risha had figured he would, and sat, watching all the dancers but not focusing on anyone. He activated a sweeper, looking for any listening devices attached to the table, and found nothing.

Aric saw Brock doing his security sweep and grinned to himself. He'd find nothing, and go on as usual. He saw Maura slowly making her way closer to the edge of the platform, to be nearer to the table Brock occupied. She grinned at him, and winked, and Aric almost forgot what he was doing there, lost in the sensual swaying of her hips and her breasts on prominent display. The blonde wig she wore was long, and made her amber eyes glow. She'd caught the attention of several of the regulars, who had complimented Risha on the new girl, and the creds piled up on her platform.

Brock stood when two men entered the cantina, and they made their way over to him. One was human, Del Kelden, and the other a red Twi'lek, Aric wasn't sure of his name. The audio feed from the bracelet Maura wore brought their conversation to the relays perfectly.

"So, now that we lost the vote on the army bases, what's the next plan?" Kelden was speaking. "Frankly, Brock, if you're wanting to poison anyone else, I'm out, man. That's just not my style." Brock nodded.

"We're not doing any more of that, least that I've been told. No more threats, either, the general has sent her pets to enforce security at the Senate building. So that just leaves the explosives." Explosives! Aric thought. He looked over the table at the bar, and saw Corso leaning casually against the back wall. He nodded at Aric, acknowledging that he'd heard it, too. Brock continued.

"They're already placed and rigged, so nothing to do now but wait for the signal," he told his associates. "Our people are out of there, so whenever the Moff is ready, he'll contact us. For now, we just hold." He looked around, and frowned when he saw Corso, not really putting the face and name together in the darkened bar, but knowing this was a person he didn't want to be around.

"You've been made, Cor," Aric whispered in the relay, seeing Corso nod. "Miriah, join him. You own half of this, not unusual for you two to be here." She clicked in response, and entered the side door, dressed in her black leatheris armor that lovingly hugged every curve, turning more heads than the dancers. Aric saw Brock recognize her, the look of lust and familiarity making him want to punch the scum. Corso saw her enter and met her, pulling her close and murmuring to her about where everyone was, but for appearances it looked like two lovers meeting. She laughed out loud, throwing her head back, silver eyes sparkling, and glanced around the room.

Greetings rang out from several other smugglers she knew, and she waved, taking Corso's hand and pulling him to a far table in the opposite corner than Brock and his pals. Good, Aric thought, seeing Brock follow her with his eyes but making no move to confront her.

"What about our pay?" the unknown associate asked, "We worked hard on Coruscant, we deserve our pay now, Brock." The Twi'lek agreed, and handed them both a handful of credsticks, wanting to have this meeting over so that he could go up to the lovely captain. They took their pay and left, Brock still sitting there, watching Miriah. He's obsessed, Aric thought, surely he knows Corso will gladly kill him. Aric watched as Corso pulled his wife to him and kissed her, and saw Brock's fists tighten as he observed the scene.

"You two need to go now, he's getting ready to come over there and we don't need him dead just yet," Aric whispered, and Felix rose, turning to the Twi'lek, and spilled his nearly full glass of juice on the man.

"You idiot!" Brock yelled, and made to punch Felix as Bowdaar approached them. The huge Wookie grabbed the man and, with a roar, hefted him toward the far exit. The crowd cheered their approval, and the wet and very pissed off Brock left the cantina, muttering expletives. He didn't look back at the couple but they rose and joined everyone in the back rooms of the cantina, giggling.

"Oh, Felix, that was too perfect," Miriah told him, still trying to catch her breath from laughing. "And Maura? You made bank, girl, all those creds up there. Great job, everyone, I forgot how much fun it is to run cons, well, that is, if no one shoots at you, anyway." Corso pulled Aric aside, seeing his friend was still entranced looking at his wife.

"Aric, you okay, man?"

"Yeah, just, umm, this costume and.. yeah, I'm okay," he finally stammered out, seeing Corso grin. Maura walked up to him, loose hipped and still in character.

"Don't you want to kiss me, handsome?" she purred.

"Hell yeah, but where's the wookie? Don't want to get thrown around by him," he told her, pulling her to him and finally getting to kiss her. The family cheered and laughed, and Maura whispered to him.

"Thinking of you was the only thing that got me through that. That, and the look on your face." She leaned back and kissed his nose, then sauntered off to change. He hesitated only a second before he followed, to the howls of the group.

"Let her tease me again now," Miriah said, and Mags laughed. They went back to the ship, the kids with Sarai there, and left Aric and Maura to reconnect.

Corso pulled the recordings from the relays and was listening to the conversation again, stopping periodically to make notes. Miriah approached him, and sat beside the workbench he'd always used, for his weapons, for pretty much everything. She listened as he did, and saw the list of notes he'd made, and smiled to herself. _He's so good at this_, she thought, _and just works through each problem as it comes. _She heard Devin running towards them, and Corso turned off the recording and met his little arms, picking him up and putting him on his knee. Devin was telling them about playing with his cousins and waving his arms, and she saw the smile Corso gave him. Devin gave his dad a kiss, then was gone, off again. Corso chuckled and shook his head, pulling Miriah to him. "He's something else, you know. And you, oh cyare, in those leathers? You're something else, too. " He kissed her head, knowing that if he'd done more, he'd have ended up losing the little bit of control he held onto. She felt the thin leash he held, and for once, didn't push him.

Aric finally came over to them, and Corso showed him the notes he'd made. "Wow, Cor, you really did a great job here, I can put together the timeline perfectly from this." He sat across from them, reading. "I want to let Garza know, you have encrypted comms here?"

"No, we can receive but not transmit them. Risha has the holo in the office though, it should do fine. Let's all go out for dinner, get her to come along." Miriah had stood, and Maura, back to her normal look, spoke.

"My treat. I made more than enough today to cover it," she laughed, and the others joined her. They met Risha, who immediately cooed and fawned over the children, and they walked across the promenade to a family style restaurant, Dev in his Aunt Risha's arms. Aric stayed behind to contact Garza, and they sat to wait for him. He joined them shortly, and they ate, the twins on their best behavior. The Corellian food was passable, and Mags was very hungry. Miriah had scanned it all before they ate, so they felt reasonably assured it was safe. They'd eaten their fill and were relaxing, chatting, when Miriah and Mags got up to head to the refresher. They were laughing on the way back to the table when Miriah's arm was grabbed, and Brock materialized out of the shadows.

"Captain, so nice to see you again. It's been ages since Balmorra, though I was on your homeworld last year." Brock grinned at her with malice, his grip on her arm beginning to hurt. He was about to draw a vibroknife when he was suddenly airborne, lifted off his feet in a force hold, Magdalane glaring at him while the guys rushed over. Magdalane had put a clear shield over Miriah and herself, and watched as Brock was again staring at the business end of Torchy, Corso's blaster, the whine indicating it's full charge was ready.

"Go ahead," Aric told Corso, "I'm sure Risha can just toss him with the other garbage. He's no value to us now." As he moved to the side to allow Corso a clear shot, Brock began to negotiate for his life, knowing the Mantellian would kill him now.

"But..but I can tell you things, things you want to know about, or will, " he stammered, looking at Miriah. "Your sister's a Jedi? Damn, then she can tell you I'm telling the truth. I can help you." He looked at Corso, whose eyes were black holes and whose muscles twitched with the effort to not pull the trigger. Brock began to shake, and Miriah was pretty sure he'd lost control of his bladder. She moved over to Corso, and whispered to him.

"Sugar, if Devin weren't sitting over there with the other kids, I'd say do him now. But I really don't want our son to see it." She felt Corso relax then, about the same time she saw Bowdaar come through the front entrance of the restaurant. Corso looked at his old crewmate, and nodded to him. Bowdaar hauled the jabbering Twi'lek to the holding cells in the cantina's basement, and Aric went to contact the closest Republic squad to come collect him. Maura stood to pay for their meal, and found that Miriah's name alone was enough to for the proprietors, and they were happy to feed the Chantalle family, even with the Brock incident.

Corso came back to Devin, who was quiet and staring. "Hey, buddy, you ready to go get your pj's?" he asked the little boy, who nodded and then threw his arms around his dad's neck.

"You not hurted?" he asked his dad, those huge brown eyes a mirror of his own.

"No, son, and Mama isn't hurted- I mean, hurt either. Everyone is fine." He wanted to minimize the details to make it seem like a misunderstanding, and Dev hadn't started playing with blasters yet. Colin, however, was a different story. Aric would have to talk to him, Corso realized. Miriah followed them, her arm in Magdalane's.

"Thanks, Mags. I don't routinely wear weapons anymore, around the kids. I forget your weapon is with you always." She grinned, and saw Mags smile in return. When they entered the ship, Corso turned to Mags and engulfed her in a hug. Miriah knew that hug, he was grateful and scared.

"Mags, you were magnificent. Thank you, so much," he told her, finally letting her go. He turned to Miraih then, caressing her face before kissing her, gently but with so much love the other women sighed as they watched. When they parted, Miriah would have sworn the ship tilted, but she saw in Corso's eyes he was just glad she was okay. Aric joined them on the ship, telling them Brock would be picked up in the morning and taken to Coruscant, and that a couple of Wookie friends of Bow's were guarding him tonight. They got the kids settled, none of them really seeming too affected by the turn of events, and gathered for a drink.

"Now, do we know if the other two left already?" Aric asked.

"Kelden rents a room, but I'll check with Risha in the morning to see what's going on there," Miriah told him. "We can be underway anytime you guys want, though, and I'll call Rish and let her know. They agreed to wait til morning, simply to make sure Brock was taken into custody. Corso had prepared a copy of the recording they'd made, and they were ready for things to move forward.

Corso took a tipsy Miriah to bed, her champagne glass still a quarter full, and she was already asleep as he relived the events in his mind. So close, he thought, so close to her being hurt again. He pulled her closer and felt her warm breath on his skin, and was thankful that at least Brock was detained.

Brock sat, in his reeking clothes, in a dark cell. The air was warm and he was miserable, wishing he'd had the sense to just leave this afternoon when he'd finished his meeting. He stared out the small window, waiting for morning, wishing Corso had just shot him rather than his handler find out he was in Republic custody.


	10. Chapter 10

Aric and Maura enjoyed the aftereffects of her dancing, but that combined with the actual dancing had her very sore and stiff this morning. Magdagane saw, and her aura burned brilliant as she infused her sister with healing and calm. Maura was grateful, she'd even had trouble bending to hug Calleigh this morning. After the kids were fed and set for the morning, the men set off to make sure Brock was safely off the station, and the women were joined by Risha, who'd brought gifts for the children .

"You guys should do this more often,"Risha told them, enjoying having their company. "Rick and I should be going to Dantooine more often, I know, but it's been hard to find an assistant here that I trust. I just fired the last one, she was good at making appointments and then neglecting to notify me. Oh well, I'll keep looking. Sorry I missed Akaavi's wedding, I heard it was wonderful." Miriah nodded, remembering the look on her friend's face as they left for their hunt. "Only Mandalorians would think a two week hunt would be romantic." Miriah chuckled but nodded, she'd thought it was unusual too, but then it wouldn't have mattered where she and Corso were, only that they were together.

Corso and Aric stood together as the Republic squad took the restrained Brock to their shuttle, after having shoved him in a shower and given him prison clothes to wear. The squad leader approached the two men, and told them that the prisoner had requested to speak to them before he was taken. They looked at each other, and at Corso's shrug, walked over to where Brock was being held by two large sergeants.

"I…I know my word isn't much with you, but I give it to you that I will tell you all that I know if you keep me safe. " Brock wouldn't look at them, but he knew they were listening.

"You'll be locked away on our capitol planet, Brock, you'll be safe. It won't be the luxurious life you've been used to, but you won't be harmed." Aric was convinced that the Twi'lek would talk once he was assured that he wouldn't be turned over to the Imps. Corso couldn't say a word, just watched the man with disgust.

Felix walked up then, and asked, "Why poison the general? She was only concerned about her family, and had done nothing on Balmorra." Brock made a groaning sound, and finally answered.

"That was my idea. I thought it might distract her from what was going on. An ill-advised attempt at diversion," he said. Corso motioned to the squad leader to take him and the lieutenant gave the order. Aric turned to the Mantellian as the shuttle lifted off.

"I know, she was almost hurt again, but Cor? Nothing you could have done. You can't shadow her every minute, you know she'd go crazy. All we can do is minimize risk, for all of them." He clapped the younger man on the shoulder. "Let's go home. Ready, Felix?" Felix nodded, and joined them in the walk back to the ship.

Risha was just coming down the ramp when they approached, and they stopped to thank her. She hugged them all, and when she hugged Corso, she whispered something to him that made him smile. Aric wondered what that was about, but let it go. They went through the airlock and emerged into a frenzy of flight prep. The kids were having lunch, a little early but they were fine with it. Sarai was entertaining them, and Miriah was on the bridge. Magdalane was preparing Michi's bottles, and Maura was making lunch for the adults, to eat once they were in flight. Corso went to Miriah, who was just finishing preflight.

"Hey sugar, we good to go?" She didn't look up, didn't have to, she would have recognized his booted footsteps anywhere. He stopped in front of her and she raised her head. When she did, he pulled her up and into his body, hugging her, still having said nothing. She hugged him back, he'd been in a strange mood since last night, and she didn't exactly know why. Finally, he spoke to her in a low voice.

"You are the only thing in this world that means anything to me besides Devin. The thought of that scum hurting you, anyone hurting you, makes me insane." She knew he'd been upset last night, but thought he was past it now. Evidently, he was still chewing on it, she thought.

"I try to be careful, be cautious, love. Last night there was nothing I could have done any differently, nor could you. I'm okay, sugar." She held him close, as he rocked with her, loving the way they fit together. He sat in her captain's chair, pulling her down into his lap, and kissed her.

"Let's go home, kitten." She nodded and hit the intercom button to let everyone know she was undocking, and sitting against the one she loved, she took the ship toward the hyperlane. Miriah turned and kissed him again, then got up to put their son down for his nap. She was leaving the kid's quarters when she saw Mags with Michi, putting her down as well. The twins were already snoozing, and Miriah waited for Mags at the door.

"I know it took a lot of effort for you to use the force last night, and I wanted to thank you again, Mags. " She walked with her sister back to the lounge area, actually hungry for lunch today. "Corso is still a little freaked about the whole thing."

"He loves you, Mir, he's gonna be freaked about some guy pulling a knife in a restaurant. Felix was the same last night, you just don't see it with him, he's so used to having to be stoic on diplomatic missions." They joined everyone and sat to eat, the ship already on an accelerated pace toward home. After lunch, they sat around the lounge, talking over the mission so far and what was going on with the others they had in the pipeline.

"Garza said there was nothing urgent when we talked last night," Aric told the group. Miriah was working on vetting some new equipment, and Tanno had left Aric a message that he would be in town while they were at the Port. "Tanno has a girlfriend, so he's been in town since we left. Says all is quiet. He even ran her through our systems before taking her out a second time, just in case."

"No way! Well, good for him, finding someone. He's a nice guy. Hope it works out for him." Corso was happy for the Weequay, knowing that being with Miriah was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Aric agreed, and they got quiet. Miriah was leaning on Corso, and he had his arm around her. She closed her eyes for just a second, but when she opened them again it was a couple of hours later, and still Corso held her close to him. They'd all been talking, she guessed, since everyone but Mags was still there. She started to sit up but Corso had laced his fingers in her hair and she couldn't move. He apologized and untangled them. "Sorry, love, didn't mean to hurt you," he told her, gently arranging her hair around her shoulders as she sat up.

"Good nap, Spitfire?" Aric teased her, seeing her still struggling to wake.

"Are you feeling okay, Mir?" Maura asked, seeing her youngest sister's face. "You look pale." She rose and crossed to her, feeling her forehead. "You're not sick, right?" Miriah shook her head.

"Just tired, I guess." She sat up striaight, and took a sip of the water Corso offered her. She stood and walked to their quarters, and through to the refresher to wash her face. She was pulling a towel from the cabinet when Corso's worried face joined hers in the mirror. She smiled at him as she patted her face. "I'm okay, Cor, really." He put his hands on her shoulders, and nodded.

"Okay, I know you would know more than me, but please, tell me if things change?" She nodded back.

"I'm ready to be home, in our bed. That's all." She took his hand and went back to the lounge, where Devin met her with his arms up, and she lifted him. "Wow, Dev, you are really growing. This is getting more difficult every day." He grinned and kissed her cheek, and got down to play. Their trip was uneventful, and when they landed the next morning, everyone was glad to be home. They agreed to meet at the office that afternoon, to catch up on the missions and such.

Aric was the first one at the office, the twins still napping. He checked the office accounts and sent the general mails to the different partners, and switched to his own. It was there he saw a new message from Garza, and he gasped out loud when he opened it. The shuttle that had gone to pick up Brock never returned, and when they sent a search party, all they found was debris.

Aric swore and pounded his fist on the desk, just as Tanno Vik came in. He didn't know what had the big guy so upset, but he knew it had to be bad, and he approached cautiously. "Boss? You okay?"

"The whole squad, six good Republic soldiers. Blown to bits. The only decent thing is that Brock is space debris now, too." Aric was up, pacing now. Miriah and Corso came in then, and saw that something was going on.

Aric turned and told them what happened, and Miriah put both her hands over her face. Corso only stood there a moment, then turned and walked outside. They could hear his yells of frustration through the walls, and Aric hung his head. They all flinched when they heard his fist connect with the door, and Miriah wanted to go him but Aric saw her start to move and shook his head.

"Don't, Mir, just let him get it out. I did the same thing to my desk," and showed her his bruised and bleeding hand. She went for the medkit and ice, getting enough to treat Corso as well. She was still in a little shock when she went back to look at Aric's hand, and was applying kolto to her brother in law when Corso came back in, his eyes sad, holding his right hand against his body. She turned to him, and saw his face, and forgot about Aric.

"Sit, my love, let me see." She took his injured hand in hers and ran the scanner. Only three broken bones, she thought, we must be on track to set a record for injuries this month. She turned to see that Aric had put the ice pack on his own hand, and turned back to Corso, who was getting a little woozy as she manipulated the injured hand. "Hold still, sugar. Here's some kolto and pain killer," she said, injecting him, seeing the pain ease in his eyes. She applied kolto gauze to the broken skin of each knuckle, and once the bandage was in place, kissed his hand. "That always works for Dev," she told him, a slight smile on her lips.

"I should have just killed him. Last year, when he was here. I should have just let Torchy burn a hole right through that thick skull of his." He rested his forehead against her shoulder, sighing heavily. "I feel responsible that he was still walking around, and now look. I'm sure his contact had something to do with this. Probably took them out to keep Brock from talking." He got up and paced, and almost ran into Aric, who was pacing as well. Corso was a little unsteady, the pain killer she'd given him making his balance off, and she tried to get him to sit with her. He refused, and his attention turned inward, working over this problem, and he didn't see her tears start. Only when she drew into herself, hugging her knees and hiding her face against them, did he realize she was upset. Her medic training had held her together enough to treat both him and Aric, but now she was feeling the same emotions they all were.

Tanno had gone to make caffa, and brought it all back to Aric's desk, turning to pat Miriah's shoulder after he set things down. Corso came to sit beside her, putting his arm around her. When he heard her sob, he picked her up and put her in his lap, not even feeling his injured hand. Maura walked in with the twins, and immediately herded them to the playroom while she sorted out what had happened. Tanno told her, in a quiet voice in the hallway, and she returned to put her arms around her husband, grabbing his hand to check it. When she was satisfied that it was healing, she knelt beside Aric's chair, murmuring to him. Finally they stood, and walked to the speeder. Maura put Aric in, then returned for the twins. They left, after Maura circled back to kiss Miriah's head and Corso's cheek. She hugged Tanno, and took her family home.

Aric moped around the house, still trying to figure out who would have known about the transport and where in space it would have been. Maura contacted Garza's office, found out the details, and wrote notes to the families of the soldiers. Aric joined her in their home office, and they sat silently. Calleigh came in and hugged them both, concerned about them. Maura rallied herself and made dinner, and they ate, subdued. Aric bathed both kids and read to them, and then joined Maura in their shower. Her arms went around him and they stood, just the contact making them both feeling better. "I love you," Aric told her, pulling her closer.

"Love you, too, hon," she replied, kissing his neck. They got out of the shower and moved to their bed, holding each other. Comfort gave over to need, and they loved each other slowly, gently, with attention to every detail. Losing people you just talked to will do that, Maura thought. Make you appreciate the fact that you still have each other.

Corso and Miriah were in a similar mood, but Corso was still a little loopy from the pain killers Miriah insisted he needed for his hand. The bones were almost knitted, but the skin was being stubborn, and she would do nothing to disturb the healing. Instead, she massaged him, her hands soothing as well as igniting him. She was sitting astride his back, working the kinks out of his shoulders. "Mir, cyare, this is torture."

"Oh," she cried, getting onto her knees. "I'm sorry, sugar, didn't realize I was hurting your back." She sat beside him instead, and in one smooth movement, he'd pinned her under him, trying hard to control himself.

"That's not exactly what I meant, gorgeous." He kissed her then, and felt her resistance fade as he nipped her shoulder. Her legs wrapped around him and felt his control slip another notch. She pushed just a little harder and he let himself go, managing to love her and not hurt her. It was always a fear he had, given their size differences, that if he let himself just go, he'd somehow hurt her. When they settled to sleep, he realized his bandage had come off at some point, and looked at the healed skin in wonder. Maybe she healed it, he thought, and kissed her temple as she drifted into sleep, feeling his eyes close as well.


	11. Chapter 11

Magdalane woke early, Ian kicking and moving, and shuffled into the kitchen. She'd felt the force disturbance yesterday, but with the war it wasn't unusual to feel large shifts, and she'd discounted it, until it was too close to be part of the war. The others had put off telling her, simply wanting her to be able to rest after the trip, but she knew something had happened. Felix was still sleeping and so was Michi, so she had a precious few minutes to try and reach out with the force to see if she could determine what had happened. It only took her moments to realize that both Corso and Miriah were sad, and that Aric was determined. Maura was still sleeping, but dreaming of explosions and fear. Sarai was awake but calm.

So what happened? She sat with her cup of tea, and thought about yesterday, but came up with nothing. It was only after she'd pulled her datapad to her that she saw the news item that displayed as an update. Oh no, she thought, those poor soldiers and their families. She felt it then, the overwhelming grief of needlessly losing lives. She was still reeling when Felix came to her, having felt the change in her aura. He held her, feeling their son move against him, trying to infuse his strength to her. When Michi woke, he let her go to see to their daughter, and brought the child to her mother. The presence of Michi brought Mags back from the force trance, and she looked at Felix, grateful for his presence. He always knows, she thought, just what I need, and never hesitates to put me first. She beamed a smile at him, leaning over to kiss him. He cupped her face and kissed her again, Michi squirming between them. She got down from her mother's lap to play in the floor, ignoring her parents as Mag's brilliant aura covered them both. When he pulled away from her, she explained why she'd been in a force trance, and Felix brought up the holonews. There was a full story, but it didn't include many details, and said nothing of the prisoner they'd been detaining. "Corso is taking it very hard, as is Aric. Corso feels responsible for not just killing Brock last year, while Aric feels the death of his fellow soldiers more intensely. They are both recovering from injuries to themselves that happened after the news broke." She rose to get the teapot, but Felix motioned her to sit and got up himself, bringing muffins that Miriah had sent over as well. Michi was now in her chair, eating sliced fruit and little round cereal.

"Feed the boy," Felix told her, putting the baked goods in front of her, and she had to smile. "We'll go over and check on everyone in a little bit. First, take care of yourself, love." He grinned at Michi, who tried to put cereal in his mouth, and he mimed biting her hand instead, getting a giggle from her. Magdalane slowly walked to the shower, still preoccupied with her thoughts.

Miriah woke to find her husband already up. What is wrong with me, sleeping so much, she thought, then realized it was quite early still. She padded up the hallway and saw that Devin was still sleeping, and found Corso sitting in the swing, the cool early morning air making her shiver. He saw her approaching, and opened the soft throw he'd wrapped around himself to let her in. His body heat and embrace warmed her, and they lay on the swing, content in each other. "I really hate waking up and finding you gone. I see what you mean about it now, and I'm so sorry for all the times I've done that to you." She felt him kiss her head. "Are you okay, sugar? Let me see-" she broke off as he held his right hand out to her. "Wow, that's very nicely healed."

"It was that way last night, as I was going to sleep," he told her in his low rumble. "Figured you'd done something different to it. " She looked back at him, noting his fatigue.

"You didn't sleep very much, did you? I can tell you're not yourself today." She snuggled closer to him, feeling him relax into her. "It's not your fault, Cor. You're always telling me that I'm not responsible for what other people chose to do. Neither are you, as much as you feel that way." She kissed his throat, feeling the hard swallow he took to contain his emotions. Finally, she felt him nod. They stayed in the swing until Devin woke, and Miriah left Corso there with his thoughts as she fed their son.

Maura had been up and down all night, plagued by nightmares. In one, she and Aric were in different shuttles when his exploded, and in the other she and Mir watched as their husbands waved to them on the ground, only to watch the shuttle explode over them. She shuddered and rubbed her hands on her arms. Aric had only woken once, and had held her through the shakes, but now she was afraid to go back to sleep, so she got up and went to their home office. The thoughts that had come to her in the night wouldn't stop poking at her, and she got out her datapad to make notes.

Who recruited Brock into the spy game and why?

What happened to his cohorts from the Port meeting afterward?

How did Brock know where we were having dinner?

Who else knew where the shuttle would be?

She was afraid she knew the answer to the last one. The only people who would know not only where the shuttle was but who was aboard would be someone in their own army ranks. The thought made her blood run cold. If that were true, if Brock's handler was a traitor in their own ranks, who was it? Who would have enough power and pull to be able to pull something like that off?

She finally put her aching head down on her desk, only intending to rest for a few minutes. Aric found her there a couple of hours later, and gently took her in his arms. "Wake up, honey, " he told her, placing kisses on her forehead and nose.

"Huh?" she said, opening her eyes, realizing she'd slept. "Sorry hon, I was having nightmares and got up," she told him, and he looked around and saw her datapad. He took it after she nodded to him, and read her list, his eyes growing wide.

"Maura, love, your mind is so wonderful. That's it, what I was missing last night, when I was pondering how anyone knew where that shuttle was. It has to be the answer." He jumped up, leaving her dazed and trying to follow. "That's why they knew our moves, about Havoc squad, about the outposts. Everything. There's someone on the inside, feeding the intel to the Empire." He paced, incensed at the thought. "We've got to go to Coruscant. This isn't something we can handle remotely." He looked at Maura for confirmation, getting a frown instead.

"You want to go to Coruscant for revenge. But we don't even know who it is yet, nor if they're on Coruscant or if they just have lackeys or even technology there that's doing their spying. How can you go after someone you don't even know yet? Aric, this is someone well placed, not a new boot just out of training. It might even be someone in the Academy. If you go to Coruscant now, raging mad and looking for a fight, you'll tip our hand." He growled in frustration, continuing to pace back and forth. When Calleigh came to the door, Aric turned with that scowl on his face, still growling, and Calliegh burst into tears and ran for her room. "Nice, Jorgan. You just scared your little girl to pieces." Maura got up to go to her, but Aric put his hand on her arm.

"No, I did it, I'll fix it," he told her, schooling his face out of soldier mode and into his normal expression. He went up the stairs, following the sobs to his daughter, face down on her bed. "Sweetheart? Calleigh? Dad isn't upset at you, darling girl." She grew still and sniffled. "I was upset about something bad that happened, but I didn't meant to frighten you, sweetie." She peeked one eye out from around her arms covering her face. When she saw him, and his normal face, she pulled her arms down and glared at him.

"Why you mad? You scared me!" she told him, still keeping her distance. He sat on the edge of her bed and she didn't move away, just stared at him with those silver eyes.

"I didn't mean to, hon. I was upset. Some people I knew, well, they had a very bad accident." Her eyes widened, and he wondered how Corso ever had any defenses against Miriah's. "I was so sad and mad that they'd gotten hurt, baby girl, that I forgot how scary I can look sometimes. I'm so sorry you had to see that face." She crawled into his lap then, all was forgiven, and he held her in a tight hug. Once she'd relaxed and knew that he was okay, he got up and went into their training room downstairs, starting the treadmill up. After three miles, he started to relax, and his brain went from fight mode to analytical mode. Why was the whole shuttle taken out? Brock could have easily had an "accident" once he was on the main ship or even in the brig on Coruscant. So why take out the whole squad? He ran another three miles, pondering on this. The steady slap of his sneakers on the surface was soothing, and it allowed him to let go of the anxiety he'd felt. Maura followed that sound and found him, looking at the readout on the display.

"Fourteen miles? Not too bad, captain. Feeling calmer?" She looked at his sweating face and saw her Aric, not the snarling, growling mad soldier who was in their office earlier. "Calleigh told me that your friends were hurt. You did a good job, making her understand what was going on." She'd turned to leave him to his run when he hopped off the treadmill and pulled her into a kiss.

"I owe you an apology, too, honey. I let the guilt and anger override my reason, and I took it out on you. I'm so sorry," he told her. She just hugged his sweaty body to her, knowing all along what he was thinking and feeling. He took her hand and led her into the shower with him, and showed her where his heart was all along.

Miriah took a mug of caffa out to her husband, but found him sleeping, stretched out in the swing. His dreadlocks loose and tumbling over part of his face, his long, muscled limbs seeming even longer, he looked so peaceful that she wouldn't dare wake him, and kept Devin in the back part of the house. When he'd been there most of the morning, she went to check on him again. He was still lying there, eyes closed, but his face had a light film of sweat. She crossed the porch to him, and felt the heat from his body before she got next to him. Fever, she thought, crap! She took his injured hand in hers, but saw no evidence of infection there. As she went to get the scanner, he sat up and coughed, raising his bleary eyes to her.

"Oh sugar, you're sick, stay right there while I get the scanner, okay?" She ran to the medroom and then back, where she ran the portable scanner over his body. "It's a flu virus, should be done in another day or two. Come on, love, let's get you to bed so you can rest." She helped him up, getting him into their room.

"Shower," he croaked, his throat so sore it ached to breathe. She helped him in, and told him she'd come back as soon as she checked on Devin_. I bet this is why I was sleeping so much, only he got sick and I just carried it._ She quickly scanned their son when she went to check on him, and he was virus free. She'd just entered their refresher again when she saw Corso was sitting on the built in bench. "Sugar, you okay in there."

"Yeah," he replied. "is Dev sick too?"

"No, love. I might have carried it, would explain why I was so sleepy on the ship. I'm sorry, sweetheart." She opened the door, holding a warmed towel out to him, which he took gratefully. She made him dress in warm sleep pants and a long sleeved shirt, and pushed him to sit on their bed. "Lie down, and I'll go get you something cold to drink." He nodded, and the ease with which he acquiesced made her realize how sick he felt. He was almost asleep when she returned with cold juice and some stims. "Here's something for your throat, sugar. And I brought a couple of meds to help you get over this faster." He nodded, drinking, and she got him medicated and comfortable. She left him only after he'd dropped into sleep and went to get Devin's lunch. As she was sitting with him, watching her happy child as he ate, she saw Sarai's new little sporty speeder pull up.

"Hey, mom," she said. "Corso is.."

"Sick, yes, I know. I felt it, and brought some things that might help. The poor man works too hard, " Sarai said, dropping a kiss on her smiling grandson's head. The holo chimed then, and Miriah answered to see Aric and Maura there.

"Hey guys, sorry we're not at the office, Corso is sick."

"Sorry to hear that, Mir. We were hoping to get together to talk about things, think if we came there it would be too much? What's Cor got?"

"Some sort of flu variant. I've dosed him with all the proper antivirals, though. Let me see how he's doing in a couple of hours, and I'll call you then."

"Sounds good," Aric said, much more relaxed now than he had been earlier. "Tell him we hope he's feeling better." They signed off, and Sarai patted her daughter's shoulder.

"Sit, eat, honey." Sarai placed a bowl of rich, thick soup in front of her daughter, and took Devin to wash his hands. They came back into the kitchen, giggling and singing. Miriah loved seeing them together as much as they loved being together.

Devin looked at his mother. "Daddy nigh-night? Him okay?" She saw the concern on his little face, and reassured him that his daddy was getting better but had to rest. He nodded, trusting her words, and turned to play with the toys in the corner of the kitchen, humming quietly to himself. Miriah got up to check on Corso, saw he was awake, and went to tell him about Aric's request. He nodded, feeling much better than he had earlier. She smoothed the hair out of his eyes, and he took her hand, kissing it. She was about to go get some of the soup for him when Sarai brought some in, along with some other things. She'd prepared a hot herbal tea for his throat and brought extra water.

"Thanks, Mom," he told her, his scratchy throat making his normally deep voice even deeper. "I feel grateful to have so many healers." He smiled at them both, and saw Devin come into the room. "Dev, no sweetie, you don't want to get sick."

"It's alright, he's already got antibodies. In fact, you both probably got it from him," Sarai laughed, as Devin brought his dad a toy pod racer with a grin.

"Okay, gang, let me get up and get dressed. I'm feeling a good bit better, " he told them, and Sarai took Devin out to play. Miriah stayed with him, to make sure he didn't get feverish again, and they sat in the kitchen, Corso having lunch and Miriah hovering over him. He finally pulled her to sit next to him. "Okay, I get it, kitten. This is how you must feel when I'm being overprotective. I'm fine. Really." He kissed her cheek, and she moved to put her lips on his.

"Sorry love, my addiction again," she whispered to him. He was getting warm again, but it wasn't fever. She moved to the holo to tell Aric and Maura to come over, and he watched her, loving the way she moved. It was only minutes later that both Mags and Felix and then Maura and Aric were there, everyone already bearing antibodies to the virus Corso harbored. Miriah made him sit on the couch and the group gathered around. Aric was standing, pacing, when Mags hit him with a burst of calming energy and he stopped and sat as she grinned at him.

"There's really only one pertinent question here," Miriah said, even before Aric spoke. "Who's the traitor in the Republic officer corps?


	12. Chapter 12

Aric stared at Miriah, who'd just read his mind. "You women are scary. Maura figured it out this morning after having nightmares all night. Why didn't it occur to me?" He looked at his wife, "At least I was smart enough to marry brains. We're all lucky, guys." He turned to Mags, "Sorry we didn't call you, but I knew Felix was worried about you being tired, and we didn't want to stress you after the trip. Your health and the baby comes first." Felix nodded, he totally agreed and was glad Mags was spared a night of worry.

"So, first thing is, how do we tell Garza she has a problem? If this person is as well placed as we think, regular comms won't work. Too easily intercepted or diverted," Corso asked, then snapped his fingers. "I know! Let's invite her here for, for.. I dunno, something. A weekend, a tour of the office, anything to get her off Coruscant and away from those normally around her." Miriah grinned at him.

"Excellent idea, sugar. I'll put together a nice invitation and send it through regular channels. She probably needs a vacation." She grinned to herself as she recalled the morning Corso answered the holo from her in just his sleep pants, overtired and worried about her. I'd have loved to see her face, Miriah thought, just her reaction to all that man. She leaned over and discreetly scanned him, seeing a vast drop in his viral load. Good, she thought, he's improving rapidly, and went to the kitchen to get more cold water for his sore throat. She turned and saw that he'd followed her, and pulled her into a hug.

"Thanks for taking such good care of me, kitten. I wanted to ask what you thought about Garza being here, possibly bringing danger here. She might, unknowingly. Are you prepared for that?" His voice was low, meant only for her, but Mags had already felt the conflict inside him. Miriah nodded, knowing they'd take every precaution. Corso kissed her head, then went out to the others, while Magdalane came into the kitchen.

"I know, you're a little worried about what might happen with the general here. I will do whatever is necessary to keep the children safe, you know that. We all will. It's okay, Mir, we're with you." Miriah nodded, not speaking, and Mags went back to the group. I guess after the past year, it would be natural for them to assume I'd worry about being hurt, but I'm not, she thought. I would kill anyone who dared touch any of the kids, and other than that, if they mess with me, they deserve what they get. She shrugged, and took bottles of water and juice into the living room. The group was discussing the list of who might be the infiltrator, and she saw that Corso was tiring. I'll call a halt to this in a few minutes, she thought, and we can figure this out tomorrow. She was about to do that, crossing to sit next to her husband, when Sarai came in to invite everyone to her house for dinner.

"I've made several things, testing out the new kitchen, and I'd love to have you all. Corso, honey, if you're getting tired, I'll send some things over with my droid for you guys, you are still recovering." She crossed and put her hand on his arm, feeling his fatigue and infusing him with force energy.

"Yes, Mom, we're staying in," Miriah told her mother, who hugged her youngest daughter and went out to her speeder. The group got up to follow, and they all wished Corso well. Miriah saw them all out, then returned to him. "You need to be back in bed, sugar, I can tell you're tiring." She sat beside him with Devin in her lap, he was getting hungry and ready for dinner and bed. "You go lie down, I'll bring you some food as soon as the little man is settled, okay?" She'd been looking at Devin, but when she turned her head to look at him, he drew her into a long kiss, one that had their son getting down to play.

"Been wanting to do that all day, cyare. Just want to be wherever you are, I've missed you today," he whispered to her as she slowly recovered her senses. She took his hand and took both her men to the kitchen, where she got Devin's dinner ready and Corso sat with him while he ate and talked to them. By the time his plate was empty, the little boy was leaning on his dad's arm, and Miriah had to grin at them together. Corso stood and took the sleepy toddler to his bath and they returned to the kitchen, Devin ready for bed.

"Love you mama," he told her, going to her and snuggling into her neck. She took him to his room, and in just the short walk down the hall, he'd fallen asleep. She gently put him down, smoothing his black hair, and turned to see Corso waiting for her. She smiled at him then, knowing the look on his face, and also knowing he was still recovering. She went into his embrace, and heard her mother's droid talking to their C2 unit.

"Dinner's here, sugar, and you need to eat," she told him, a grin on her face, thinking of the times he'd put her off when she was either sick or injured. He backed her to the wall, pinning her with his body on hers, and she heard his voice, the low, deep rumble that shot a zing to her insides.

"All I want to have is you, though. Anything else is for later," he told her, running his hands up her sides, feeling her response. The breathy sound she made when his hands found skin under her shirt had him picking her up and moving swiftly down the hall to their room.

At Sarai's house, Magdalane was relaxing on the couch with Felix when she suddenly stopped talking and smiled, shaking her head. "What, sweetie? You alright?"

She nodded, "And Mir and Corso are too," she told him in a whisper, which made him laugh.

The next day found them all hard at work at the office, heads bent over terminals and smartboards being updated, new mission specs and changes being implemented. The children were all playing and laughing, and midmorning found Miriah with them gathered around the table for snacks. Calleigh pointed at her aunt, "An 'Riah, you happy? Pretty smile." Miriah laughed, Calleigh always had the most poignant observations.

"Yes, baby, I am happy, I get to have snacks with all of you," she told her neice, who laughed. Devin and Colin were racing their apple slices, giggling, and Michi was grinning at them. She washed hands and faces, and they ran back to the playroom, Michi holding Calleigh's hand. Miriah watched them go, and for once felt at peace. She went back to her desk, where she'd put together an invitation to General Garza to come and tour their facility. Facility, she snorted, wonder what she'll think of the playroom. That made her smile to herself, as she sent the proof to the group for approval.

Maura saw it and crossed the hallway to Miriah's desk. "Think she'll come? I mean, do you think she'll take it at face value or realize that we're trying to get her here? I'm a little worried that her transport might get "attacked" like the shuttle did, and it's making me anxious."

Aric overheard her and joined them, propped on the corner of Miriah's desk. "I think she would be too high a profile to be a target, besides, if something happens to her, the spy would eliminate his source." The women nodded, and were quiet.

"At least, the missions are updated and current. I've just verified receipt of the last of the updates to mission control on Coruscant," Aric told them. "So, if she accepts the invitation, and she should, there will be something to show her when she gets here, like how this all works."

"Where do we put her for quarters? She's welcome at our house, but where do you think she'll be more comfortable. More important, where do you think we can keep her safest?" Miriah had thought about this earlier but hadn't really figured anything out.

"At my place," Sarai said, coming into the office. She had her own access code now, and visited frequently. "No one really knows I'm here, and we can talk about grandbabies and such." Miriah looked at her mother, wonder apparent on her face.

"Stars, Mom, that's perfect! Are you sure you don't mind?"

"It'll be fun," Sarai said with a grin, going down the hall to the playroom, eager to see the kids.

"She is always surprising me lately," Miriah said, and saw Maura nod.

"Yeah, she's enjoying being with us, I think," Maura replied. They dispersed, going back to finish up the current projects lists. At lunch, Sarai went home with Mags and Felix, hoping to get her pregnant daughter to rest.

"Magdalane Celine, you have to put your feet up, love. I've got Michi, and then I'll make lunch, but you're to be on the couch, resting." Sarai would have no argument, and Felix nodded at his wife. He made sure she was comfortable and saw that she was napping almost as soon as she was down. He went to the kitchen, where Sarai was just entering.

"Is she ok, Sarai? Do you sense something that she's just not saying?" His worried look touched her heart, she knew he loved her daughter and their babies, and wanted to reassure him.

"She's fine, and the baby is great, she's just doing too much. She needs to be off her feet more, and she really doesn't need to be lifting Michi as often as she does. She's a little dehydrated, and just really needs to take life easier right now." She reached out and touched his arm, seeing his concern in his eyes. "They'll both be fine, son. Just make her rest more, that's the biggest part." He nodded, pulling out some things that Miriah had sent over for their lunch. "I've got this, you go rest too," she grinned at him. Instead, he put dishes on the table and went out to cut some flowers, thinking it would make Mags happy, even if he had no idea what the flowers were. He made the table look pretty, and put on a pot of tea, knowing she'd want a little. When lunch was ready, he took a cup of tea in to the living room and gently touched her shoulder.

"Lunch is ready, sweetheart. Here, move slowly and sit here for a moment," he told her, his voice low and soothing. She smiled up at him and took a sip of the tea, and sighed.

"You are so wonderful, Felix. This is perfect," she told him, getting to her feet and, linking her arm in his, walking into the dining room. She saw the flowers first, and the care with which the table was prepared, and knew he'd been trying to please her. "See? This is what I mean, you know I love these flowers!" She kissed him then, and he sat her at the table, pulling her chair out and kissing her head when she was settled. Sarai joined them and brought the food out, and they enjoyed the lunch.

"Miriah made this?" Sarai asked, and both Mags and Felix nodded, mouths full of the succulent pasta stuffed with seasoned ronto and cheeses and sauce. She's quite the cook, Sarai thought, and takes care of them all.

"When Corso is out on the ranch, sometimes for weeks at a time, she uses the time she would spend with him on cooking things, says she has to or she'd never sleep with him gone. We reap the benefits, and of course the meat is all from their ranch, so it's delicious." Magdalane had told her sister that she didn't have to cook for all of them, but Miriah had explained that she had run out of storage room, but still had ideas to try for meals.

"Fortunately, he doesn't have to do that but a couple of times a year, and Aric and I tried to help during the breeding season, but it's a massive job," Felix told them. "The next time he'll be so busy is during calving season. Last year they had thirty two calves, I think that's going to double this year. He talked about hiring another person, not sure what he ended up doing there. I know I can't help him with calving." He was so sore just from herding the huge animals into pens, separating the steers from the females, that he couldn't imagine actually helping them during birth.

The person in question was currently relaxed in the porch swing, his wife lying on top of him, both of them content to just swing and be near each other. Miriah had sent the invitation to Garza before they'd left the office, and didn't really expect an answer right away. Corso had completely recovered from his flu virus, and he was currently thinking of Ord Mantell and his parent's ranch there, absently rubbing strands of Miriah's silky black hair between his fingers. She spotted the approaching ship before he did, and pointed to the sky.

"It's the newlyweds, " she told him, her ears attuned to the Mandalorian's engines. They rose to go meet the ship, which settled gently down on the outside landing pad down at the hangar. They were about halfway to the hangar when they heard the back door of the house slam and saw Devin flying down the path toward them.

Corso caught him, seeing his delighted face. "An Kav home!" he told his dad, clapping. Miriah had to smile, he and Akaavi had a strong bond, just the evening before Devin had asked about her at dinner. When the ramp was in place, Corso put Devin down, and Miriah grabbed his hand.

"No running into Akaavi, okay son?" He nodded and ran toward the ramp, but turned and looked at his parents, slowing before he got to her. Akaavi scooped him up, laughing as he threw his little arms around her neck and kissed her cheek. He even patted Cy's shoulder, and the couple talked to the animated little boy as they walked toward Miriah and Corso.

"Welcome home, you guys," Miriah told them. Akaavi looked so happy, Miriah thought. Cy shook Corso's hand and hugged Miriah, and they all walked back to the house. Devin was excited and talked the whole way, and finally was distracted with cookies.

"We had a wonderful hunt, but I am glad to see you all again," Akaavi told her as they prepared caffa. Miriah smiled at her friend, sensing her contentment.

"You know, we had a gift for you two, but wanted to give it to you in private, in case we needed to make adjustments, " Miriah told them both once they were seated again at the worktable. Akaavi started to protest, but Corso just took her hand in his, startling her enough to make her stop talking.

"We want you both to be close, you're our family. But we know that the guest house may not be ideal. So, we want to give you some property, over off the south edge, across the stream. You guys can build there or whatever you want to do with it." Corso blushed, not sure how Akaavi would take this, and was a little concerned when she burst out in tears. The only time he'd ever seen her with tears was at Devin's birth.

"This is a most generous gift," Cy said, looking at his wife and proceeding at her nod. "We will enjoy being close enough to visit but also have our own privacy." He hugged them both, as did Akaavi. She was still speechless a few moments later, when Devin crawled up in her lap, touching the tears still on her face.

"An Kav needs cookies," he said, with a grave expression. They all laughed at this, Devin enjoying being with them. Miriah was turning to get more cookies when she heard her datapad chime and went to retrieve it from the office.

"_I'd love to come to Dantooine! See you in three days!"_ General Garza was indeed coming to Dantooine, Miriah thought. Let the games begin.


	13. Chapter 13

Miriah briefed Akaavi on the current situation and what everyone was doing, and they chatted as Miriah cooked. They'd invited the new couple to stay and eat, but they wanted to get unpacked and settled. Devin had only left Akaavi's side for a few minutes at a time. "He's really missed you, 'Kaavi, asked about you pretty much every day." She smiled at her son, seeing the delight in his eyes.

"And I missed this little face too." She kissed his head as he got down to play. "You need another, Miriah. You are a very good mother." Miriah smiled, but looked away.

"I know, it's been on my mind a lot lately. I'm just not sure I want to do it again right now." Akaavi nodded, her friend stayed busy as it was, another child would certainly add to her daily tasks. Cy and Corso had finished unloading their ship, and joined them. After a few minutes, the new couple went to their place and Corso had Miriah right where he wanted her, against him. They were kissing and nuzzling each other when Devin tried to pry them apart, finally getting his dad's attention.

"Hey, Dev. Sorry we were ignoring you, son." He swung the little boy up in his arms, and put him in his chair at the table. Miriah brought his dinner over and Corso sat with him while he ate. She stood at the counter, watching her two men, and was lost in thought when Corso noticed her watching them. Once Devin had eaten all he wanted, Corso let him down and was planning to take him for a bath, but stopped and gently kissed his wife, who startled at his touch. "You were a million parsecs away, love. Everything okay?" He saw her tear up then, and took her in his arms.

"I want another one, Cor, another baby. Not right now, but I do want one. I'm scared, though, that it will be tough on all of us." She put her arms around his waist, holding on. He let go of her and took her hand, taking her with him to the refresher off Devin's room, where his son was preparing his bath toys.

"Look at him, love. He's perfect, smart, loving. How could you think it would be a hardship on any one of us to have another like him?" His voice was gentle, his love for her in every word, and she felt his emotion clearly. Devin took that moment to turn to her and grin.

"Love you Mama," he told her, "Devin sleepy." They laughed, he knew exactly what he wanted, and part of that was for them to do their part. Corso got him clean and dressed for bed, and they joined Miriah in the kitchen for kisses. Miriah took the little boy to his bed, hugging him hard. "Mama good," he told her as he kissed her cheek. "Go nigh-night. Hugs." How, she thought, could you not want one of these? Her heart felt lighter as she joined Corso for dinner.

Maura and Aric were discussing the upcoming Garza visit, Aric glad that she was staying with Sarai and not them. "She interrupts us enough when she's not on the planet. I'd be ready to scream if she stayed here."

"Poor Aric," Maura said, grinning at her husband, "he never gets to kiss his wife, or hug her, or.."

"C'mere, smart mouth, and use it for good," he told her, putting his mouth on hers, backing her to their bed. They wasted no time shedding clothes, forgetting about the upcoming visit and pretty much everything but each other. Only later, when Aric was absently tracing circles on Maura's bare back did he think about the upcoming visit and how it might play out. "Honey, do you think her assistant might be involved? He kinda flew under my radar since it seemed like he was so devoted to her on Alderaan, but that might be his cover. What do you think?"

"I think, love, that you're over thinking again. Just relax and let's see what goes on when she's here. She did confirm that the explosives at the senate building on Balmorra were removed, right?" He nodded, kissing her shoulder. "Then we really just have to wait and see." He grunted, knowing she was right but hating to wait. "I know, you hate to wait, so I'll just have to figure out something to occupy your mind until then." She ran her hand along his muscled thigh, and loved the response she always got from him, loving him.

Magdalane and Felix were relaxing, and Felix was telling her about watching Michi play with the twins and Devin when he realized she was nodding off. He stood and pulled her to their room, her protests weak. "You need more rest, sweetheart. Let's get you in bed and resting, okay?" She watched as he took off her shoes and moved to take her shirt off over her head. When he did, she kissed him, and he could feel her aura caress his skin, the sweet edge of desire infusing it, and it had him thinking of not sleeping instead. She grinned at him, knowing he could feel what she was feeling, and pulled him over onto her, his lips onto hers. No words were necessary, and they finally rested, Felix's arms around her, his hand on their son.

Miriah woke up in the middle of the night, a piece of the Garza puzzle floating around in her subconscious, if only she could just get it out. She blinked in the darkened room, feeling her husband's arm draped over her, his warm breath on her neck. She didn't want to wake him, but she knew she wouldn't be sleeping soon. Now, she thought, what the void is it that keeps running through my brain? She shifted slightly, feeling Corso's arm tighten around her. "Mmm?" he mumbled. "Darlin', you okay?"

She sighed and turned to face him, hating that she woke him even though she knew he must have not been sleeping too hard anyway. "I'm fine, sugar, go back to sleep." She snuggled into him, still thinking. He fell back into slumber, his hands in her hair, holding her to him with his leg wrapped around hers. She was thinking about seeing Maura dancing, the walk to the restaurant, how nice the promenade looked with the twinkling lights, and then it hit her. Brock was taken from the restaurant by Bow, who was essentially the law on Port Nowhere. So, there was no official paperwork, just a call to the Republic army post on Thanta II. Then the question was, how did the info go beyond the limited network they'd contacted. No one but the family and Risha even knew they were there, and when Bow handed Brock over, the only thing they'd told the soldiers was that he'd pulled a knife on an unarmed citizen in a restaurant.

She turned away from Corso again, trying to get comfortable and figure out what was going on, and felt him move her hair and then his lips on the back of the neck. The tingle that infused her made her shiver, and she felt him pull her closer. She turned again to face him and was lost in his kiss. "So beautiful, so warm, so soft," he murmured between kisses, his hands arousing her as much as his words. He loved her slowly, savoring each touch and cry from her. When they cuddled to sleep again, he whispered to her, "What had you awake anyway, love?"

She returned his whisper, "Working through the whole information leak issue in my head, it woke me, like there was something missing, something I've overlooked somewhere." She nibbled at the ear she'd been whispering into, and heard his breath catch.

"We're staying awake then?" he asked her, grinning, pulling her on top of him. By the time they slept, Miriah didn't think of the mystery anymore. Morning saw her again working through the details, trying to figure out how the information got to whomever blasted the shuttle out of space, and after they'd eaten breakfast and gotten Devin settled to play, she talked it through with Corso. He paced as she talked, but followed her words closely.

"I see what you mean. There has to have been an inside person, either at the Port or at the Republic outpost." He turned to look at her, seeing the silver eyes he loved lost in thought. "Wonder if one of the others at Brock's meeting had a contact somewhere?" Miriah slowly nodded.

"That's been the only thing I keep coming back to," she said. "But the squad would have had to file the request to come get him, and maybe the spy had access to all incoming comms." She shifted to hug her knees as she sat on the fireplace hearth, sipping her mug of hot chocolate. "His name would have been on the initial request, let's ask Aric or Maura if it would have gone on the report the squad submitted." Corso crossed to the holo, then walked back to her before he'd put the frequency in. He sat beside his wife and kissed her.

"You constantly amaze me," he told her, and then got up to walk to his office, her grin following him. She was still smiling when her came back into the room with a small box in his hand. "I wanted to give these to you for your birthday, but I can't wait. I want you to have this now," he told her, handing her the box. She drew in a sharp breath when she lifted the lid of the box to see moonstone earrings, crafted to match the necklace he'd given her. "It occurred to me, when I saw you before Akaavi's wedding, that you needed more jewelry, kitten." She jumped up to grab him in a hug, and he held her close, lifing her feet off the ground as he did.

"Thank you, sugar, these are wonderful," she told him, sniffing back happy tears as she put the earrings on. She sighed as she felt them dangle softly against her neck. "I love them."

"I love you, cyare." He grinned at her as she hugged him again, then moved to kiss him. Sarai found them there, embracing and softly talking to each other. They broke apart when she came in, but she could feel the connection.

"Sorry, kids, for the interruption. I wanted to see if I can take Devin for a walk this morning, and if you need, I'll bring him to the office after." Sarai was loving the ranch, and exploring the grounds.

"Of course, you can," Miriah told her, and laughed as Devin came running from the playroom to see his Nana. "We need to be going up there anyway, " she told her mother, who was looking at the earrings her daughter wore.

"Those are nice, Mir," she said, reaching out to touch them. When she did, she felt the love attached to them, and smiled at her son in law. "Well done, Corso. " He blushed in response.

When they got to the office, and Miriah explained what she'd been mulling over since the middle of the night, Aric looked at Maura. "You filed those, Major. How much info do you put on those reports?"

"Yeah, they would have had his name on that report." She sighed, knowing that anyone with access codes would have been able to get that information and destroy the shuttle. That didn't get them any closer to who the informant was, but in Maura's mind, cemented the fact that it was someone inside the military structure. She followed Miriah to the kitchen, seeing the sparkling moonstones in her sister's ears. "Does that silly smile have something to do with the new jewelry, sis, or something else?" Miriah grinned at her, touching the earrings with her fingertips.

"Corso gave them to me, said he thought I should have more jewelry," she smiled, remembering his face when he'd given her the box. Maura looked at them closer, "They match the necklace perfectly, had to have been made by the same craftsman. Lucky girl!" She smiled at her sister then, and they rejoined the others in the conference room. Mags and Felix had come in by then, and they briefly checked the holomail while brainstorming both the questions Miriah had raised as well as the general's visit in two days. Magdalane shifted uncomfortably, which caused everyone to come to an alert posture.

"It's nothing," she said, "just this guy moving around." She stood and rubbed her belly, Felix supporting her, his arms around her. Mags laughed. "You all act like I'm almost at term or something. I've got still got four months, he's just a lot more active than Michi was." Felix kissed her then, something of a rarity in public, and whispered to her.

"You need to put your feet up, my love." She smiled at him over her shoulder and did as he said, taking the cup of tea Miriah offered her. "I'd be happier if you'd just rest at home, but I'll take this." Sarai and Devin came in, and after greeting everyone Devin ran to the playroom, and Sarai went to Mags.

"Little guy giving you fits today, huh?" Mags nodded, and Sarai sat beside her. "I wanted to put my two credits into this current mission." At the surprised looks of everyone, Sarai laughed. "Yes, I pay attention to what you guys are working on. And that's what I wanted to remind you all about. There were others around, who might be invisible in plain sight." Aric and Corso looked at each other, there were surely people in the Republic army who were just there, unobtrusive. Aric thought of Garza's assistant again then.

"Her assistant came to my mind last night," he said. "I wondered if I'd overlooked him initially because of his apparent service on Alderaan, but that might have been his cover. It bears more investigation, I mean, who would know more about what was going on with her than him?"

"True," Corso said, "but how would he get the info on the shuttle's passenger? That wouldn't have made it to Garza's office immediately, right?"

"Hmm, you're right," Aric said. He paced, rubbing the back of his neck absently. "It would almost have to have been someone directly involved in day to day ops, someone farther up in the chain than a first sarge. Unless we're dealing with an entire cell, who alert each other on pertinent info. Still, someone would have had to know Brock was working for the Imps to have alerted on his name. " He walked over to Maura, just touching her seemed to calm him and stopped his pacing. He was massaging her shoulders when it came to him.

"There's a transponder station in the same orbit as the Port, right, Mir?" He looked at his sister in law, noting the sparkling stones dangling from her ears, her hair swept back in its customary pony tail. She looked up at him, also following his line of thought, and slowly nodded.

"There is, there sure is. It's unmanned, but they're able to monitor all comms, both data and holo." She sighed. "I should have thought of that earlier."

"We'll let the general know when she arrives here, maybe get someone up to look at that station." Devin ran to his mother then, pointing to his stomach and telling her it was "growly", and she chuckled, swinging him up on her hip, where he gently touched her ears.

"Pretty," he told her, tugging on them.

"No, sweetie, don't pull, they're in Mama's ears." She showed him as she took him to the break room for a snack. The sisters came in with their children, and fruit and yogurt were passed around. Mags saw the earrings and smiled, knowing Corso would have chosen them. He so loved to see Mir smile, she thought.

They were there when Tanno Vik came into the office, a message on his datapad blinking in his hand. He didn't say a word, just handed it over to Aric, who sighed as he read the holonews item. Several explosions had rocked the capitol and senate building on Balmorra, and the government there was in chaos. There had been few casualties, as it was a national holiday there, but the damage was significant. He looked at the other men, who were all watching with expectant looks on their faces. "Looks like the threat level just got elevated," he told them, passing the datapad over. Aric's only hope was that the Senator and her son had escaped.


	14. Chapter 14

The group was speechless at the news, and only moments after they'd seen the datapad they heard the holo chime. General Garza, Aric thought, and sure enough, her blue image wavered in front of them. She's not visibly upset, he thought, so either her daughter and grandson are safe, or she's a hell of an actress.

"Have you seen the latest on Balmorra?" she asked, not waiting for an answer, "no one on the senate was injured, and we've move them all to Coruscant until this can be sorted out." She nodded slightly at Aric, and he understood. Her family was safe and with her. "Evidently, we either missed some charges, or they were put back after we'd done the sweep. " She looked down at her feet, then back to the group. "So far, there are only three fatalities, and they were maintenance workers at the capitol building. At any rate, civil war on Balmorra is imminent, so the current missions there and the plans for the outposts are on hold. We'll keep them current, but won't be doing any updates until after we get boots on the ground there and assess the area. I'm still looking forward to seeing you all in a couple of days. Garza out."

"She's the best at conveying a lot of info in a short, few sentences," Maura observed with a wry grin. Miriah nodded, agreeing with her sister. Just in that short message, she'd relayed her family's status, told them the current situation on the planet, confirmed that she'd be on Dantooine as scheduled, placed current missions status on hold, and let them know that she was aware that someone knew inside information. "It will be interesting to hear her assessment of things once she gets here."

Sarai, having herded the children into the playroom, came back to the group and put her arm around the only daughter close enough to her size to do so. Miriah turned and gave her mother a smile. "Ready for her to be your houseguest, Mom?"

"Absolutely," Sarai replied, "I've got the house droid stocking up on tea and cleaning. We'll have fun." She looked at Miriah's earrings again, noting the intricate design, and marveled at her son in law's good taste. "A thought occurred to me this morning, I wonder if Risha's assistant, the one she had just fired, might have anything to do with this leak?" Miriah looked at her mother in astonishment, she hadn't thought of that angle.

"Nice catch, Mom," Magdalane told her, "I'd forgotten she had said that when we were there."

"I'd forgotten I'd told you that," Miriah said. She looked up the hallway and started that way, half thinking about the Balmorran situation and half about getting Devin home and fed and napping. She turned the corner to the playroom and Devin ran to her, stopping just before he plowed into her legs. "Good stop, son. Thank you for that," she told him, bending to pick him up as he put his little head on her shoulder. "Sleepy, sweetie?" He nodded, grabing a handful of ponytailed hair. She walked with him to the others, "We're going home for lunch and a nap, anyone want to join us?"

Felix spoke up, "We're going home too, and Magdalane is going to rest this afternoon, so call if you need us, okay?" It was an uncharacteristic definitive statement from him, and Magdalane looked at him, a little startled, but nodded. He must be worried sick about her, Miriah thought, to make a bold move like that. Sarai agreed that she needed to rest, and they all went to their speeders.

Corso put together some sandwiches for them while she put Devin down to nap and she found her husband in their swing. She sat, grateful for his kitchen skills, feeling a bit tired herself. "Any further news out of Balmorra?" He'd checked the holonews before bringing their lunch outside, and shook his head, his mouth full of roasted nerf sandwich, which made her giggle. She kissed his nose, and picked up her own sandwich, which was huge. She took it apart, made it small enough for her to actually bite, and bit into the fragrant and delicious treat. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, glad she was at least eating something. When they'd finished, she settled against him with her datapad.

"I'm sending a message to Rish, going to see who it was that she fired, and try to trace her movements." Corso nodded, pulling her closer to him. When she'd finished tapping on the datapad, she turned to him. "I love the earrings, sugar. You really surprised me with them, too."

"You deserve pretty things, love. I enjoy getting them for you," he told her, gently stroking her back. He was full, had his love close to his heart, and was getting sleepy when he realized Miriah was already sleeping, He sighed a happy sigh and kissed her head, closing his own eyes. Akaavi and Cy had been studying the property they'd been given, and were walking back to the guest house when she spotted the other couple in the swing.

"That is their favorite spot, " she told him. "If you ever cannot find them, check there." She chuckled softly.

"Maybe we need one of those," he told her, tightening his grip on her hand. "It looks very relaxing." They smiled at each other, and quickened their steps to their house.

Corso was in a deep sleep when Miriah sat straight up, her mind alerting her to something, and moments later she realized what. The Republic army shuttle was approaching from the south, and making its way to the hangar coordinates. Corso shifted but didn't wake, and she walked down to the hangar alone. Great, she thought, the general's a day early. That's just great. She watched as the ramp lowered and General Garza appeared, and not alone. Her daughter and grandson followed her off the shuttle, the child seeming amazed by all the livestock on the ranch, pointing and talking excitedly to his mother and grandmother.

Oh my stars, Miriah thought, I sure hope Mom is okay with this. "Hello, and welcome to Dantooine and the Riggs Ranch," Miriah called to them. Garza crossed to her, giving her a slight hug and handing her a wrapped box.

"It's been a harrowing week, and I am so glad to be getting a respite from the chaos at the Senate Plaza." She turned to her daughter and introduced the women, ending with , "and this my grandson, Paolo." The child turned to look at Miriah and shyly said hello, fascinated with her eyes. Miriah heard Corso approaching behind her and turned to see both him and Devin coming down the path. Once introductions were made, they started back to the ranch house.

"I'll get some snacks going, it's cookie time for someone," she said, seeing Devin clap his hands at the word. Corso was answering questions about the ronto and bantha on the ranch while she readied a tray of goodies and tea and caffa. She got a message to Maura with her datapad, and they were on the way down. Devin just silently watched her, mouth full of cookie. Finally, he caught her attention.

"Mama need kisses?" he asked her, reaching for her. She grinned and picked him up.

"Mama always needs kisses, sweetie. Always," she told him, getting several cookie enhanced kisses from her son. They were turning to wash hands when Maura and Aric came in with the twins, and behind them, Sarai. I should have realized Mom would feel the force change, Miriah thought. Sarai took Devin from her and brushed cookie crumbs off Miriah's cheek, smiling at her.

"Don't worry, it's fine," Sarai said, laughing at Devin making faces at her.

"Well, we'll have dinner here then, it's the least I can do," Miriah responded, already pulling things from the pantry and freezer. She set to work, putting together a meal for them all, and inviting Mags and Felix and Michi.

As she worked in the kitchen, Aric and Corso watched the women's conversation from the side of the room. "Think she just needed to get away or that she felt it would be prudent to get them away from Coruscant?" Corso asked, seeing Aric was thinking along the same lines. The Cathar was thoughtful, but quiet, but finally answered.

"I think it's a little of both. The child would be uncomfortable in a city, used to Balmorran moors. But it's got to be stressful on the general, having so much going on along with the other missions." He crossed to refill his caffa mug but returned to their spot, in front of the fireplace. Felix joined them when they arrived, getting his own caffa after getting Magdalane settled with some tea.

These men are a study in contrasts, Sarai thought. There's Aric, always looking like a soldier, no matter what he's wearing, but even more so in cortosis weave gear, black cargo pants and black shirt, the contrast with the fine fur of his body striking. Corso, always a little more casual, light colored long sleeved soft shirt with dark military style pants, blaster always present. Then there's Felix, casual pressed pants with a buttoned up shirt, usually blue, that made him look more like a businessman than a former lieutenant. She could feel the emotions of the men as they watched the room. Corso was wary, not liking the sudden change in plans, Aric mostly the same.

Aric stretched, and turned so that the women couldn't see him speak. "I'm going to check out their shuttle, make sure there's nothing extra on it that might be a problem." Corso nodded, and when Aric walked out, Corso joined his wife in the kitchen after checking on the kids. She was working steadily, but he could see she was thinking, too. He stopped her movement with a hand on her arm, and she looked up at him with those sparkling silver eyes.

"Everything going well in there?" she asked. He nodded.

"Talking about kids and senate work, " he told her, washing his hands and preparing to help her with whatever she needed him to do. He asked, and she nodded at the mushrooms she wanted sliced and he got to work, guessing at what dish she was cooking. They worked quietly, in sync, until Miriah noticed Paolo just inside the kitchen, watching them.

"Paolo, would you like to help?" He jumped at her voice, but quickly nodded his blonde head. "Come over here and wash your hands first." She showed him where the dishes were and he set about putting them on the table, carefully lining up the edges, humming to himself. Poor kid, Miriah thought, has to be hard being shuttled all around, not having a home right now. After a few minutes, the young boy began to ask Corso questions about the ranch, and they could see how intrigued he was by the animals. The two males chatted happily, and their conversation continued through dinner. Miriah just observed, smiling. The little kids had been fed and put to bed, and the adults had just sat down to dinner when Diedre's holo chimed. She blushed and rose, taking it to the other room, where Magdalane heard Zenith's voice and smiled. Miriah saw the general scowl, but it was gone quickly, replaced with a small smile at her grandson.

After they had gone to Sarai's house, Miriah cornered her sisters. "Okay, now what was being discussed while I cooked? And what was with the general not liking Zenith?"

"Garza feels like the Balmorran explosions were a statement, a public show rather than an actual attempt to kill. They were superficially set and detonated on a holiday. Not saying I agree, but that's her take on it," Aric said. "I've got Tanno looking at them now, sent the specs to him, anyway. He's on a date." The grin on Aric's face was huge.

"Dinner was wonderful, by the way, Mir," Mags told her, a contented smile on her face. "I'd be ronto sized if I ate your cooking all the time." Maura agreed.

"Garza is also sending a 'maintenance team' to the transponder station, to check it out. We didn't talk about the fact that she has a possible intel leak, just didn't want to get into it with her daughter there," Maura stated, stretching and yawning, Aric stroking her back.

"Well, you all are welcome to stay here, since the kids are all sleeping. I'm going to bed, we can talk to her more tomorrow." Miriah made her way to their room, and Corso found her soaking in the tub, eyes closed.

"Feeling okay, darlin'? I know you must be tired, but dinner was awesome." He knelt and kissed her forehead, seeing her responding smile.

"I am tired," she said, "and thanks, sugar. You helped with it, you're a better cook than I am, at least with meals. I still own the cookie market." He laughed, loving the relaxed tone of her voice.

"Enjoy your bath, love. Want a glass of wine?" he asked her, seeing her nod in response. He was getting glasses out of the upper cabinet when he saw Aric come into the dimly lighted kitchen. When he turned to speak to him, he saw Aric grinning at him.

"So glad we're on the other end of the house again," he said, making Corso laugh. He got two more glasses out, and poured the wine, handing two of them to the Cathar.

"I didn't say anything before, but I did find it odd that Garza would talk about the bombings but not about how the info got out," Aric stated, looking at the dark red wine. "I can't tell if she just doesn't want to upset her daughter or if she just doesn't want to discuss it yet." Corso shrugged.

"I have no idea, but what I do know is that Zenith is more involved with this than I thought before, or at least more involved with Diedre." Aric agreed, and took the wine back to their room, Corso doing the same.

Neither had any idea that Zenith was in orbit over Dantooine, and Magdalane was so deeply sleeping that the change in the force signature didn't alert her. Sarai and her new houseguests slept on, and Sarai herself did feel a change, but didn't know what it might be. She sighed, knowing more would be known tomorrow.


	15. Chapter 15

Sarai woke early, not unusual for her, and felt someone else already up in the house. She rose and dressed quickly, a little concerned that maybe her guests needed something. She went first to the kitchen and was putting tea on when she heard Diedre's voice. Hmm, Sarai thought, she's speaking to the other senator again, and I can feel her passion for him. Her mother doesn't like it, however. The child loves him, though, and that carries a lot of weight. Her hands continued to work on breakfast but her mind worked through her usual force checks. Miriah and Corso were still sleeping, and she could feel their contentment. Aric and Maura were awake, oh heavens, leave that door closed, she thought. Magdalane was awake, her son's movement making her restless, but she could feel that her oldest daughter was rested, and then the "Hi, Mom" that Mags sent her. That made her smile. She was still smiling when Garza came into the kitchen.

"Good morning, General," Sarai told her, and was surprised with her reply.

"Helena," the career military woman said. "No one ever calls me by my given name, but it's Helena." She smiled at the tiny Jedi, and thanked her for the tea Sarai handed her. "My daughter is already working?" Sarai nodded, pointing to the dining room off the kitchen, and Helena sighed. "I'd hoped she would take a break from it."

"Helena, the relationship with Senator Zenith, it's an issue between the two of you?" Sarai asked the question gently, not wanting to upset anyone this early. She saw the general stare at her tea cup, but slowly nod.

"She's my daughter, my only child, and her husband was a wonderful man. His death was a major blow, and I know she's lonely, but I had hoped that she would find someone not in politics or in the military. The danger is so prevalent for everyone on Balmorra, but it seems to be particularly true for those in those professions." She rose and went to look out the long windows at Sarai's garden, the flowers in riotous bloom. There's a peace here, she thought, a kind of isolation that calms the soul. She was still there when her daughter joined them, a yawning Paolo in tow.

"Good morning, ladies. Master Jedi, this is a fabulous place. I don't know when I've slept so well," Diedre told Sarai, her smile genuine. Her son nodded, but his sentiment was different.

"Are we going back to the ranch today?" he asked, a hopeful look on his face. His mother sighed, but Sarai beamed at him.

"Of course, we will. It's a fun place, isn't it?" She chuckled as the boy nodded vigorously. They cooked and had breakfast, waiting until it was a little later to join the others.

Miriah stood at the counter in her kitchen wearing nothing but Corso's shirt, her hair wild around her and her eyes still half open. When Aric told her good morning, it started her and she jumped, spinning around. "Stars, Aric, forgot everyone was here." She realized she was very underdressed and after grabbing a mug of caffa for Corso, eased out of the kitchen and down the hallway, hearing Aric's chuckles behind her. Corso was still dozing, and when she sat the mug on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed beside him, he slowly began to wake. "Morning, sugar," she told him in her sleep-roughened voice. They'd not discussed the mission at all, nor the fact that Garza had appeared on the planet a day early, before sleeping, but Miriah had questions now, questions that she wanted to share with her husband. He sat up, rubbing his hands over his face, and pulled her to him. Their good morning kiss done, she had just started to tell him what she was thinking about when Devin came down the hall. "Well, I guess I'm meant to just sit on this for now, but maybe at some point we can talk about this mission," she groused, picking Devin up and taking him to get changed and start breakfast. She'd just arrived in the kitchen when she realized she was still in Corso' s shirt, and stopped dead in the doorway. Mags took Devin from her and sat him in his chair, his breakfast already done for him. He told his aunt thank you, and Mags kissed his head, then turned to her sister.

"Go, Mir, and get dressed. I've got Dev." Miriah turned and walked back down the hall, and found Corso in the shower. She pulled his shirt over her head and joined him. They said nothing but she held onto his waist while he shampooed her hair, his hands smoothing out the rough edges of her morning so far. When they'd gotten dressed, he turned her to him and spoke.

"Mir, what's on your mnd, darlin'?" His deep drawl made her smile, and she sat for a minute to organize her thoughts.

"Well, so far the casualties have started to climb. Brock, the soldiers, three workers on Balmorra. Why doesn't Garza seem more concerned? She hasn't even mentioned it since she got here, granted, I understand wanting to shield her grandson. But doesn't it seem off that she's so nonchalant about it?" She stood and paced. "And what about the outposts? I haven't.." She was interrupted by C2, who informed them that Senator Zenith had arrived. "Zenith?" She looked at Corso, puzzled, and followed him to the living room, where Magdalane and Felix sat with the senator.

"Good morning, " she greeted them, and noted that Felix looked a little tense.

"Diedre holoed me this morning, " Zenith said. "She is here, correct?" At their nods, he continued. "I received word early this morning that the Republic is sending troops to aid the government there in regaining control of the chaos. If this is true, then the war on Balmorra will have escalated into the old Republic verses Empire battle, and our people will suffer. Do you know of this?"

Magdalane shook her head. "I do not, but I will contact some of my colleagues and see what I might discover." She moved to the next room, accessing the holoterminal there, and they could hear her speaking.

Miriah walked into the kitchen for something cold to drink, and found Maura and Aric with the kids there. "We're listening," Maura said, "but wanted to give the kids a chance to finish eating. " Miriah looked at Devin, who was handing Michi his spoon, and grinned at her son's cereal covered face. She took him to clean up, and Corso found her outside with the kids, she and Maura enjoying the sunshine, Aric throwing a ball to the little boys.

"Darlin', you've been trying to tell me something all morning, but keep getting interrupted. What have you figured out?" He put his arm around her as he sat beside her.

"Who benefits? From all of this, I mean. The Empire doesn't hold Sobrik anymore, and I'm sure have replaced what was produced there with another arms factory. So, why? Why now? And who gets the biggest cut?" She looked expectantly at him as he thought about her query.

"I am not really sure, but I think it's a good question, especially for Garza. Mags is waiting on responses, and I see Sarai and our guests arriving," he told her, getting up to greet them. Paolo immediately started in with Corso on the ranch, and he took the boy and Devin and Colin to the barn, all of them chatting excitedly.

Diedre knew Zenith was here, he'd sent her a message, and she went inside to see him. Sarai and the general stayed out with Miriah and Maura and the little girls, who were playing quietly. "It's a nice morning, and so beautiful here." Garza looked around, and then saw that Miriah was staring at her. "You have questions for me, I'm assuming."

Miriah nodded, and leaned forward. "Who do you work with on a daily basis? Besides your assistant? Because, in my mind, someone very close to you knows pretty much everything you know, and if compromised, could be a very bad thing." Garza thought, pacing on the deck.

"There is only one other person who I see and work with every single day, and that's Colonel Jurin, my liaison with SIS. He and I brief each other every morning, and again in the afternoon." She looked at Miriah, who'd stood to pace, and wondered if she'd been a fool.

"Did you happen to discuss the Brock incident with him?" she asked, and saw the general look up at her sharply. "You did, didn't you. Aric contacted you about the surveillance on Brock at the Port, and then again when he was taken into custody. Does he also know that you're sending a team to the transponder station?"

"Yes," she replied, pulling her holo out of a pocket. "Major Austin, please recall anyone going to the transponder station. They haven't left, have they?" She peered at the Havoc squad leader, sensing his confusion.

"No, general. They are in the shuttle but haven't taken off yet."

"Get them off, out and away from the shuttle." They watched as the major gave the orders, and as the squad members disembarked the shuttle. They were a safe distance away when the small craft exploded, to the astonishment of the squad as well as the women watching via holo.

"Major, casualty status." Garza looked at Miriah with fear in her eyes.

"Minor, three minor injuries. Don't know who got you the intel, but you just saved six soldiers. Thank you." The major rubbed his hand over his neck, relieved that he'd had his holo close. Garza let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and told the major to sweep the area. She disconnected the call and groped for a chair, her knees suddenly weak.

Maura went inside for cold drinks, bringing out an armload of them and a plate of cookies. Miriah took a long drink, then faced Garza again. "There's someone close to you who is trying to pit the Empire and Republic against each other on Balmorra. Now, granted, not a hard thing to do, but there is the question of what is there to gain? If not in assets, then in terms of revenge or justice. " She looked out over the ranch, seeing the kids and Corso heading back their way. "Zenith doesn't know about the transponder station, neither does Diedre. Let's keep it that way, just for a bit, okay?" She looked at the older woman, seeing her nod, and turned to watch Corso lead his little pack up to the house. They took the kids inside, Michi getting sleepy, and the others played while the littlest one slept. Maura stood beside her sister while Miriah started to pull things together to cook.

"I'm going to go brief Aric on the holo call," she said in a quiet voice. "You okay here with the kids?" Miriah nodded, and turned to catch Maura's arm.

"Tell Aric to start a search for activity on the good Colonel, looking for any gap in time not accounted for." Maura nodded, patted Miriah's hand, and went to the next room. Miriah worked on, and after a few minutes of silence, turn on music in the kitchen. She felt her shoulders relax, and wondered where Corso went. As if she'd conjured him, he walked into the kitchen, having heard the info Maura was giving Aric. He walked to her and hugged her, whispering to her.

"So very glad you thought of her associate, love." He held her in his arms, and when the song changed, he began to sway with her, feeling her respond. They were still standing in each other's arms when Garza and Sarai came into the kitchen.

"We came to help…whoops, sorry," Garza spun to leave, but Sarai's hand on her arm stopped her.

"What can we do, Miriah? I know the Senators and the older kids will be ready for lunch soon." She patted Corso's arm, which was still holding her daughter to him, and they slowly parted, knowing that she was right.

"I'm making the plain pasta with cheese sauce for the little ones, and stuffed pasta for us," she explained, getting their attention. It was a recipe that they all loved, and just thinking about it made Sarai hungry. She took plates and glassware out of the cabinets and started to set the big table in the dining room, too many people for the worktable in the kitchen. Garza helped, finding comfort in working with Sarai, and finally had to ask the question.

"Are they always like that? So, I don't know, connected to each other? I was married a long time before my husband died, but I never remember being so pulled to each other." She smiled at her new friend, and saw Sarai's gentle nod.

"They really are, and my daughter is not one to trust easily. Magdalane always has said that Corso has a pure soul, and if anyone would know someone's true self, it would be Mags." She finished the table, and turned to the general. "I damaged her at an early age with respect to trust and love, I can hardly begrudge her the intense relationship she has with her husband. The other two have the same sort of relationship, but aren't as comfortable showing it as they are."

"I can only hope Diedre can find that," Garza said, and Sarai smiled her knowing, Jedi smile at her.

"She has, Helena," she said to her friend in a soft voice, and saw the realization in the general's eyes. She'll need to process that, Sarai thought, and went into the kitchen, seeing that Corso and Felix were getting the kids fed and Miriah was finishing their own lunch. Devin turned as she entered, and his Nana was said through a mouthful of pasta, but his sentiment evident.

When they sat down to eat lunch, Maura noticed that Zenith sat with Diedre, her mother on the other side. Paolo had eaten with the little ones, but no longer took naps. Instead he watched a holovid in the other room. Corso pulled Miriah's chair out and did the same for Sarai, Felix seating Magdalane and the general. They ate, and kept the conversation away from Balmorra and briefings. A tour of their office was on the schedule for the afternoon, and Aric and Maura were taking care of that. Corso had told Miriah earlier that he might go up as well, anxious to start working on the background of the SIS agent. She'd agreed then, but now, she wished he wouldn't go, but wouldn't tell him that. Sarai and Miriah stayed at the house instead, the kids all there.

Magdalane was on the holo, a colleague from her diplomatic service days on the other end. They were discussing the geopolitical changes on Balmorra when the other Jedi mentioned that she'd been there only a few months ago. She remembered it well, she said, because she met an SIS agent there that had impressed her with his knowledge of the prominent players on the planet and who they were affiliated with. She was effusive with her praise, and Magdalane sensed some emotion playing into her account of the mission there. "Do you remember his name?" Mags asked.

"A Colonel Jurin," she replied.


	16. Chapter 16

Magdalane was still lost in her thoughts when Miriah found her, sitting near the holo but nothing on it. "Mags, you okay?" her sister asked, and Magdalane looked at her with a frown.

"I was just talking to someone who has been on Balmorra recently, and she mentioned Jurin's name. He has to be the link, Mir." She got up to see what Michi was doing, and Miriah followed her to the playroom.

"Corso is at the office now, running background and looking for anything."

"He's SIS, Mir. They don't report using the normal channels, most of the stuff they do is highly classified and never sees the light of day."

"Have faith in my Corso, Mags. He'll look at things that they don't think to hide, that seem unimportant. I know he will, he thinks that way." She picked Devin up, and his little arms went around her neck, and he snuggled into his mom. "Dev, need a cookie?" His head popped up and nodded, and she laughed as she took him to the kitchen, trailed by the twins.

Corso and Aric had taken the Senators and Garza through the building that housed their office, and their visitors were duly impressed. "So much technology in such a concentrated area, but I see Miriah's influence here," Garza said, pointing to the cookies in the break room. They laughed, but Garza could see why they were able to get so much done in a short amount of time. Diedre stood close to Zenith, earning her a glance from her mother, but Garza said nothing about it.

"You have everything you need, from medical facility to bunker. Where did you get the idea for this?" Diedre asked Aric, and Aric chuckled.

"Miriah. She's the contingency planner, the one who has multiple outs for everything. It's her smuggler background, and she uses it to make sure that our soldiers are safe as well as her family. Maura's datapad chimed and she looked at it, quickly putting it down on Aric's desk. He was speaking about the design of the building, and glanced at the message. _Jurin is known on Balmorra, has extensive network there, according to a diplomat friend of Mags. _Miriah had sent it just moments ago, and Aric was wondering how to get Garza alone to speak to her about it, when Diedre expressed the desire to return to the ranch house, anxious about Paolo. Corso took her and Zenith back, leaving Aric and Maura with Garza.

"I just got this," he showed the message to the general. "So Jurin maybe knows more than he should. And more important, may be passing along info to the wrong people."

"I just can't see it, " she said. "He's a well liked and decorated agent, has spent years in upper echelons of military and intelligence. Why would he do something like this?" She paced, thinking.

"We have to consider him a possible traitor," Aric said, beginning to lose his patience with her reluctance to accept what he thought was a clear fact.

"I just can't barge into his office and accuse him, Jorgan. I have to have more evidence, something that I can take to the Supreme Chancellor. Get me that, and we'll get him out of the picture." She sat heavily. "In the meantime, I'll limit what I tell him, without making it seem that I'm limiting." She put her head in her hands. "I think about retiring, every single day lately. This kind of cloak-and-dagger stuff just makes me want to do it more." She stood and put her hand out to Aric, who shook it. "We'll work on getting what we need to close this." Aric nodded, and they headed back to the ranch house.

Corso had gone to his office when he'd arrived at his house, anxious to search more on Jurin. He was looking at the results of one of these searches when Miriah found him. He looked up at her as she approached him, smiling at the look on his wife's face. He knew that look, and it had his immediate attention, causing him to reach for her as soon as she got close enough. "Wish we didn't have so many people in the house," he whispered against her neck, pulling her to sit in his lap. She giggled and agreed.

"That's not why I came to find you, though, you just looked so cute sitting here," she told him. "Find anything?" He was really not thinking about Jurin anymore and it took him a few moments to process her question.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, here, see it?" He pointed to the computer screen. "There's a three week gap here, where I can't find travel plans or a leave request. No explanation so far, so I'll keep digging." He kissed her and was trying to figure out how he might get more time with her when they heard Devin cry.

"Sorry, sugar, duty calls," she told him, sighing as she got up to see what had happened to her son. Sarai had already comforted him, but he wanted his mom. When she reached them, he reached out for her and she took him, sitting with him on the couch.

"What happened, sweetie?" she cooed at him. He said nothing but held onto her tightly, sniffling. Her normally happy son was decidedly unhappy, she thought. She glanced at Sarai, who shrugged. Calleigh came in to check on him, and Miriah asked the little girl what had happened.

"Dev just wanted you, An 'Riah." In her mind, it was as simple as that. Miriah wondered if her unease with the situation with the general had made her son anxious, which had happened before. She kissed his little head and felt his hands in her hair, his comfort measure. Corso found them, worried that Dev might have been hurt, and when he saw the little boy's head on Miriah's shoulder, his hands in her hair, he knew his son was just fine. He walked up to them and put his arms around them both, and Devin let go of one handful of hair to touch his dad's face.

"Want to go outside, little man?" Corso figured he'd give his wife a break and take one himself, but Devin shook his head no, and buried his face in his mother's neck again. Magdalane felt the force ripple and found them, sitting in the kitchen, Devin not crying but not letting his mother go either. Miriah looked at her oldest sister.

"Mags, is he okay? I mean, something is obviously up, but he doesn't have the verbal skills to tell me what." She stroked his back, his weight beginning to make her lower back burn. Mags aura flared for a few seconds, then waned.

"He's in a growth period, Mir, but that's all I can see, at least physically. He's content with you. It's possible it's just bone growth that's making him feel a little uncomfortable, plus all the people in the house and strangers." She held her hands out to Devin, and he lifted his head and went to her, which surprised Miriah. "Stars, Mir, how do you carry him around so much, he's a solid boy." Mags sat with him, unable to keep her balance carrying her own son as well.

"See, that's what I mean. How can I be thinking of another baby when he's still a baby." She sighed, and Mags caught her hand.

"It's all just a time thing, Mir. In a week, he'll be on to something new. You have time, sister. Enjoy having him, and if it happens, it happens. " Miriah nodded, and squeezed her sister's hand. Corso had heard this. She wants another child, he thought, and I do, too. But I want her, her time, too. He sighed, and started to cook dinner, figuring they'd have everyone here again. It surprised them all when Sarai and Garza elected to return to Sarai's house instead, giving the young couples a chance to bond.

Maura had been keeping an eye on the twins and Michi, and brought them into the kitchen where everyone was gathered. Devin saw them and slid down from his aunt, joining them all in the floor, and Miriah sighed in relief. She went to Corso, who was still preparing dinner, and put her arms around his waist, her head on his back. He turned and kissed the top of her head, his hands covered with the sauce he was putting on the bantha ribs. "Hey sugar," she told him. He grinned at her when she stood on tiptoe to kiss him properly.

"Hey cyare. After dinner, I have some things to discuss, some with the group, some with you." He kissed her again, and she saw the look in his eyes. He moved away to finish his sauce and she started with the table, wondering what he was thinking about.

Felix and Mags were entertaining Diedre and Zenith, telling stories of their diplomatic years, when Mags had to stand and stretch. "Baby kicking around?" Diedre asked, a smile of warmth and memory on her face. Magdalane nodded, and saw the wistful expression on her new friend's face as Diedre squeezed Zenith's hand. They'd never have their own children, she thought, but they still might have this experience. She knew that's what Diedre was thinking, and she felt the surge of protectiveness and affection that Zenith was experiencing. Wonder if these two are moving toward a marriage?

"He's very active and this time of day is worse." She rubbed her belly and grinned at Felix, who was smiling at her. She felt her aura change and saw Felix's eyebrow go up, the whispering of desire on his skin.

"Miriah?" he said, but she shook her head, and he grinned wider at her. They held hands as they continued to talk to the senators, and eventually they all made their way outside. Corso had the grill going, Maura and Aric had the kids outside playing ball, and Miriah was sitting, for once. Miriah asked the senators about the daily routine in the senate building, and got some good info, but not really anything useful. Until Diedre mentioned a visit by an SIS group, about a month before, telling her that the group had been impressed with their increased security measures, and had made suggestions for improvements.

They ate and enjoyed each other's company. Paolo got along well with the younger children, and they ate together at a table of their own. Devin was covered in the fragrant, tangy sauce and when Miriah took him for a bath, Maura joined her with Colin. "So, it's been a long day, Mir. You said you had something to share with us, and I'm hoping I can stay awake long enough to hear it." She had Colin wrapped in a towel, searching for clothes in her gear bag. Miriah just handed her a set of pajamas for the little boy, seeing that they wore the same size now. Maura dressed her son and looked at her sister, who was drooping with fatigue as well.

"I think Corso has something, too, but I'll tell you mine now. I was talking with Diedre and she confirmed that Jurin was on Balmorra about a month ago with an SIS group, and their security was discussed." Maura put her son on the floor and he ran off, Devin following him.

"So, we have a connection now. That's significant." Maura rubbed her eyes with her hands.

"Didn't sleep well, hon?" Mirah asked her, a wicked grin on her face at Maura's blush. "Or just not enough?" She giggled when Maura pushed her, and they went back to the group. Zenith and Diedre were leaving, Diedre to Sarai's house and Zenith to his ship, his mission to Coruscant could be delayed no longer. When they'd left, Corso turned to the group.

"I've found a span of time where there is nothing, no record of leave, no travel, accounts not accessed. Three weeks, and nothing was used or taken? He was noted as being ill, but there's nothing in Jurin's medical records to verify this." He was sitting with Miriah, Devin on his shoulder for a change. "So, I started looking into who was on Coruscant during those three weeks. I was surprised to see a large number of politicians, it was during a convention for advancement of, hmm, hold on, here it is. Advancement of Rehabilitation."

"What does that even mean?" Aric asked, looking at Mags for her input.

"Best I can remember, it's a society that tries to find ways to rehabilitate criminals. They've come up with some very strange methods, and the only reason I've ever heard of them was that they were associated with the Empire's Intelligence agency."

"That just seems too coincidental to me," Miriah said, yawning. "I'll see what I can turn up on them tomorrow, but now I'm just too tired." Corso went to put Devin in his bed, the little boy sleeping heavily. When he returned, the others had gone to their houses and he had his Miriah alone. She moved into his arms, her head on his chest.

"Let's go to bed, kitten," he told her, and she nodded. They changed and snuggled together, Corso pulling the warm comforter over her shoulders before kissing her forehead. Her eyes were already closing when Corso remembered he wanted to talk to her about babies.

"Mir?" he whispered.

"Mmm?"

"Earlier you told Maura that you really wanted another baby." She was quiet, and he thought she'd gone to sleep, when she spoke.

"I do, sugar. I keep thinking I should wait, but I still want. That shouldn't surprise you." She was lightly stroking her fingertips on his forearm where it was curled around her.

"It didn't, really. It's not like we're doing anything to prevent conception now, though. The timing has just been off, right?"

"Mmmhmm," she responded, the warmth of his body against hers and the long day combining to make her drowsy. "It'll happen, sugar. When it's right." She relaxed against him, but the thought of another little one was in his head now. So it was that he was still awake when Devin came stumbling into their room, his eyes sleepy.

"Dev, buddy, it's nigh-night time," he said softly, wanting to let Miriah sleep. Devin came to him and put his little head on his dad's arm. "What's wrong, little man?"

"Love you, Daddy," he half whispered. "Want Mama." He saw his mother and looked at his dad with those big brown eyes. "Mama nigh-night?" When his dad nodded at him, he hung his little head and started back to his room. Corso eased Miriah onto her pillow and got up, going to his son. He picked the little boy up and put him in their bed. Just being with them both made the child feel safe, and he was almost immediately asleep. Corso sighed, just being with them both calmed him, and he could feel himself getting sleepy. His last thought was of another baby, and how much he loved his wife.


	17. Chapter 17

Maura woke Aric with her restlessness, and he realized she was troubled. He tried to calm her without waking her, but nothing he tried worked. He gently kissed her forehead, and her amber eyes opened, searching for his. "Oh, Aric, I'm sorry, I know I must have been running in my sleep, that's what I was doing in my dream."

"What's worrying you, hon?" He was rubbing her back, holding her to him.

"I don't really know, it was just all this running. Made me think of something we needed to do for this mission, but now I can't remember what it was. Crazy dream, I guess." She sighed and reached to rub her calf. "And now my legs hurt."

"Let me, sweetie," he told her, sitting up to massage her legs with his strong hands, feeling the muscles relax. His hands wandered higher and she pulled him up to her.

"Like you tell me, don't start something you don't intend to finish," she told him, grinning. He growled low in his throat.

"Always intended to finish, love. Always."

Miriah woke early the next morning, being held in Corso's arms with Devin snuggled between them. Seeing them lying together, she was struck by how very much they favored each other. She was still looking at them, a small smile on her face, when Corso blinked awake, looking into the silver eyes he loved so much. He didn't say anything, not wanting to wake his son, but reached his hand to cup her face, rubbing his thumb along her cheek. He felt her shiver, and saw when she had an idea by the widening of her eyes. She slowly, carefully moved to the far edge of the bed, and got up, heading to their refresher, peeking back around the door to quirk her finger at him, summoning him to her. He followed her lead, tucking their still sleeping son in. When he reached his wife, she pulled him to her, kissing him. He needed no further encouragement, and deepened the kiss, backing her against the wall. When they stopped to breathe, she pulled her nightshirt over her head, making him reach for her, but she moved away, turning the shower on. He grinned as he followed her in, they always enjoyed showering together, and any cries she made would be masked by the sound of the water.

They were getting dressed when Devin woke up, sitting up in their bed and rubbing his eyes. "Mama," he said, not even seeing her yet.

"Good morning, sweetie. Did you sleep good?" He reached his arms out to her, and gave her a kiss on the cheek when he was seated on her hip.

"Missed Mama," he told her, "Devin's bed cold." He rested his head on her shoulder, and grinned at his dad. "Daddy warm." She giggled and agreed.

"But you have to sleep in your bed. We'll make it warmer, okay?" Her son nodded his head, and Corso moved to put his arms around her, kissing his son's head. Miriah whispered to him when he did.

"Daddy certainly is warm, but I can make him hotter," she said, her warm breath on his ear sending his blood pooling places other than his brain, and when she nipped that ear with her teeth, he groaned. She giggled as she made her way to the kitchen. They were sitting at the table, feeding Devin and themselves, her bare foot resting on his leg, when Sarai and General Garza came in.

"We've had a thought, kids," Sarai told them, "One that will require all of you to pull off. I've called the others, they'll be here shortly." Sarai walked over to the stove and put on a pot of water for tea.

"Want an omelet, Mom?" Corso asked her, and when she nodded, he smiled. "How 'bout you, General?" She nodded as well, and Corso got ingredients out of the fridge. He was trying to figure out what their idea might be while his hands worked on cooking. Miriah got up to get Devin cleaned up and dressed, and the older women sat and chatted, sipping their tea. It wasn't long before the entire group had gathered at the ranch house, the kids playing in the playroom and the adults lounging in the living room.

"Okay, we're all here. What's the idea?" Maura was dying of curiosity. She was sitting on the floor at Aric's feet while he massaged her neck. Her muscles were acting strangely since her dream, and he could feel the spasms under his fingers.

"Yeah, Mom, I've been trying to figure it out since you called," Mags added, sitting in the deep chair, her feet on the ottoman beside Felix. She'd managed to sleep late, and was feeling wonderful.

"Well," Sarai started, "Helena and I.."

"Who?" Miriah interrupted, then realized that Helena must be the general's given name. "Oh, sorry," she said meekly, earning her a grin from her husband.

"We figured you really need to meet Jurin and observe him to see what's going on and to try and figure out if your assumptions are true or if there's someone else suspect. Therefore, we needed a way to gain access to the politicals and the military. One of the best ways to do that is to actually run for office." She stopped speaking and looked at the disbelief on the faces of those she addressed.

"Who do you think is crazy enough to volunteer for that assignment?" Miriah asked. "Don't look at me, with my history of bounties and underworld dealings, I'd never pass the vetting stage."

"Nor would I, since I was in on all that stuff," Corso added, taking Miriah's hand in his.

"Maura, as leader of Havoc squad and a certified Republic hero, you're the obvious choice. You or Aric." Mags looked at the couple. "We'd be with you, as campaign managers. I certainly can't do it," she said, rubbing her very pregnant belly.

"Actually, Mom, you'd be a perfect candidate as well," Maura said, really not wanting to be the center of attention again.

"We thought of that, but my Jedi background would work against me in the political arena. I will, however, be with you, my daughter," Sarai told her. Mags realized that Maura was anxious and sent a little force her way, calming both her nerves and her muscles.

"Oh stars, I guess I have no choice then," Maura said, her face showing what she thought about this idea. "What do I do to get it started?"

"Right here, just sign," Sarai presented a datapad to her middle daughter, who sighed and scribbled her signature. "Now, we have to wait for the acknowledgement and then we'll be off to Coruscant."

Miriah closed her eyes and felt Corso gently squeeze her hand. She truly hated being off planet, and hated Coruscant even more, though since their last trip there her qualms were somewhat less than they'd been before. Still, she reasoned with herself, it was Maura who would be the focus, not her. She'd be with Corso, who would shield her from anything she asked of him. As if reading her thoughts, he leaned into her. "I'll be with you every single moment, cyare. Nothing will get close enough to hurt you, I swear it," he told her, his voice low enough that only she heard his words, but Mags and Sarai felt both of their emotions, and shared a look.

"So, what are we talking here? A few parties, playing dress up and spying on the attendees?" Maura was still uneasy about this, and Aric was beginning to understand how Corso felt when Miriah was forced to put herself into less than optimal situations for a mission.

"That's exactly it, Maura. We'll all accompany you, the more eyes and ears available, the better," the general said. "Plus, you'll all stay in the military complex, the same apartment you were in before, if you like. I can authorize some credits for this under mission planning, so you can shop for the necessary clothing and such." Maura groaned, she hate to shop on principle, and turned to Miriah.

"Mir, you gotta help me with that, I have no idea what to get."

Miriah grinned at her sister, "Oh, yeah, I can do that. I have a few formal dresses already, so I probably don't need anything."

"Just make sure you all fit in, that's the most important thing. Whatever you need, let me know. I'm going back today, too many things need my attention, but I'll see you all by the end of the week?" Aric nodded at the general, rubbing his wife's back. He followed her outside, and when they were reasonably alone, he spoke.

"General, I'm trusting you with the most valuable thing in the entire galaxy. You'll see to it that she's safe?" His laser green eyes held the general's and she knew the price should Maura come to harm. She also knew she'd put herself in front of any of these people should the situation arise. She nodded to the Cathar, grateful that this group existed, that these talented people were in the Republic.

Inside, Miriah was already pulling dresses up on the holoterminal, and had put Maura's measurements into the search. "I have the grey one I bought on Alderaan, the white one I wore at Akaavi's wedding, and the black lace.."

"No, you're not wearing the black lace one. Seriously, Mir. Corso would be beside himself, even more than I suspect will be the case anyway." Maura was paging through the search results, not really paying attention.

"He liked it, Maura. Why not use it again? I'm actually smaller than I was then, so it'll fit. Ask him." She turned to see Corso enter with Devin on his hip. "You like the black lace dress, the one I wore at Mom's birthday, right?" Corso blushed , his entire face red. He remembered it, it looked like she was wearing nothing but little bits of lace over her, and there was nothing to the back of it until the waistline.

"Uh, you were amazing in it, but I think I'd prefer being the only one you wear that one for, love." If possible, he got redder, just thinking about it. Miriah kissed his cheek, grinning at him, knowing he'd been unable to think about anything but her that entire night.

"Okay then, I guess I need to look, too. Mags, you can't wear you robes, get over here and look with us."

"If you girls are going to shop in here, I think I'm going to the office," Aric said. "I want to run a search on the convention that was going on when Jurin was supposedly ill."

"Not so fast," Maura told him. "You don't have a formal suit except for your dress blues, and you can't wear them to these functions." She smiled at his groan, and she took him by the arm and sat him down. "I'll order for you, but we need measurements first."

"Can't you just get the same size as my military uniforms?" Aric really hated buying clothes. Maura bent to hug him, and whispered in his ear. He stood, grabbed her hand, and they ran giggling to the guest room.

Magdalane snickered. "I guess she just explained to him about the measurements." Miriah laughed, and went into the kitchen to get lunch together for the kids.

Maura was recording measurements into her datapad, her half naked husband standing before her, making it hard for her to concentrate. He was just staring, noting her slightly manic energy covering her nerves at this new development, he thought. He caught her arm as she put the datapad beside him, and pulled her against him. "Talk, Maura. This is scary for you?"

She put her head on his shoulder, "More than I even have words to say, " she told him. "I would rather get fired on than have to dress up and be politically correct. Too many years spent in the military makes me wary of politicians anyway. How can I convince any of them?"

"You didn't think you could be a dancer either, but you did it. Don't limit yourself, honey. You have so many things you're capable of that you shy away from. I have total faith in you." He kissed her temple, and she sighed, happy to be in his arms. They joined the group, feeding the kids lunch, and after, taking them home for naps. Sarai had gone to do some shopping for herself, after life as a Jedi, there were no formal gowns in her closets.

Corso and Miriah were settled into their swing, Miriah telling him about the two dresses she'd bought, when she realized he was looking off into the distance. "And one is pale green and has actually grass sewn on it," she said, waiting for his reaction.

"Uh huh," he mumbled, and then "Hey!" when she poked his ribs. "What? I'm sorry, kitten, I was just thinking about the trip, and about Devin, and babies," he told her, then pulled her up his body until they were nose to nose, "and this morning." He kissed her, then again feeling her response. "The rest of this day is ours, no guests, no work. We need some time, love. I need to be with you, just you." He kissed her again.

"What about our son?" she teased, seeing his smile.

"He's easy, and I can still touch you with him around." He took her hair down, burying his hands in the silken strands, pulling her lips to his again and again.

The computer terminal in his office hummed as he carried his wife to their bed, and he didn't know or care what was going on anywhere else in the house. The results of the search he'd entered, on the activities of the Rehabilitationists, would have definitely put them both on edge, but for now, at least, Corso was at peace, loving his wife's body and soothing her soul, preparing them both for the coming trials.


	18. Chapter 18

Magdalane smiled as she packed Michi's things for Coruscant. Her daughter had grown so much in the past few months, her first birthday having passed a few weeks ago now. Mags had finished the packing and stood, and felt a twinge around her pregnant self. I'm glad this is my last, she thought, this is much harder the second time around, at least for me. She had taken a few steps when she was hit with a hard pain. She did a quick force scan of herself, and realized the practice contractions were telling her she needed to rest. Felix had felt her initial alarm through their force link and rushed to her, urging her to their room. He got her settled on their bed, and went to check on their daughter. Seeing the packed bag, he had a better idea of what had happened, and went back to Mags with some tea and a snack. She had fallen into a light sleep, and opened her green eyes when he approached.

"Mags, sweetheart, I'm not so sure that this trip to Coruscant is the best thing for you right now. You're over tired already." He sat on the side of the bed, watching her sip her tea.

"I am tired, but I can't let the others do all the work, Felix."

"Actually, yes, you can. You know they'd rather you be well than be there, if the choice is either or." He moved to stretch out beside his wife, seeing the indecision on her face. "Come here, lie down." She did, her head on his shoulder and his hands stroking her back. He could see her eyes getting heavier, and whispered to her, "Rest, my love. Our son needs you to be strong and rested. Love you, so much." He knew she heard him from the rush of affection he felt whisper over his skin in her force aura. Maybe I can convince her to just go to Coruscant and be with everyone, but not necessarily do much. She won't like it, but maybe she'll accept it. He gently moved his arm from under her, and went to watch Michi, hoping his wife would sleep.

Maura had spent the time the twins were napping gathering things for the ship. Miriah does so much for everyone whenever we go on these things, she thought. Least I can do is contribute some. She was putting toys for the twins in a bag when she heard her datapad chime and retrieved it from the kitchen counter. Wow, that was fast, she mused, reading the acceptance of her declaration of candidacy. She sent out a message to the rest of the group, letting them know they were ready to go whenever, and went to find Aric. He was on the treadmill, which didn't surprise her. Exercise was his way of combatting stress.

She thought about that for a few minutes. Aric ran, Miriah baked, Corso had the ranch. Magdalane used the force or meditated, and Felix never seemed stressed, but she knew Mag's aura would affect him, too. What do I do? She wondered, but then she realized, her stress relief method was manic energy. Aric noticed her then, and started to cool down, his ten miles had satisfied the need to burn off the worry. She watched her husband, appreciating the way his muscles moved. He gracefully hopped off the machine.

"What's wrong, honey? I can see in your eyes you have news for me." She was silent but handed him her datapad. "Good, we can get this going then." He looked down at her, then pulled her to stand, pressing his body into her. "We knew this would be the outcome, Maura. Why is it bothering you?" He bent to kiss her, feeling the anxiety in her slight tremble.

"Trust me, love. I'm going to be with you every moment, just like when you danced. All you ever have to do is look in my eyes. Even if you don't have faith in yourself on this, I do. You're an amazing woman, Maura." He held her close and felt her arms around him. He hissed when she found the edge of his shirt and her fingertips brushed up his abdominal muscles, and pressed her against the wall. She was edging his shirt up his chest when they heard Calleigh call for her mom. He took a step back, kissed her again, and told her, "I know, you have to answer that. But save our spot, we'll continue later." She blushed and nodded her agreement, then called to their daughter.

Miriah was snuggled into Corso, her silver eyes half closed in satisfaction. He was kissing her fingertips, holding her hand with one of his and the other was caressing her thigh, when her datapad chimed. She reached for it, only to have him move his hand from her thigh to hold her arm down, and she was surprised at his response.

"No. No work, no outside things. It'll keep, at least for a while." He kissed her then, and he had her undivided attention until their son woke, needing cookies. She took him to the kitchen for a snack, and Corso took him with him out on the ranch, riding over to check a couple of herds that were expecting calves. While the guys were gone, she settled in to bake, in preparation for their trip to Coruscant. She sighed, thinking of the last time they were there, of Rona Rigg's death and the circumstances of Mina Chantalle's death, their anniversary. She'd finally banished some of the demons she'd always felt there, but she knew she'd never be totally comfortable on Coruscant.

She'd turned some music on while she baked, and was cleaning up when Corso and Devin came in. She was dancing around, and Corso just stood watching her, admiring her grace. The way she was swaying aroused him, and she turned her head to him, her sensuous movements becoming even more exaggerated. Devin clapped his hands for her, jumping around to "dance" too, while the look in Corso's eyes told her that even after their afternoon, he wanted her again. She understood his focus, then, on the remainder of the day being theirs. Work always had a way of introducing a level of worry, whether it was for the soldiers they knew would be following their mission plans or themselves going to another planet to put on a ruse. Today, they both felt free, light. It was a pleasant illusion, she thought. She picked up their son and danced around with him on her hip and he giggled and clapped his hands. When she put him down and he went to play before dinner, Corso wrapped her in his arms, the music now slow, and they danced and kissed, telling each other in words and actions how much they loved.

The next morning saw them gathering at the office, planning on leaving after lunch. Sarai would meet them at the hangar then, and mid morning they left the office, as much of their work done as they could do at this juncture, and met again early afternoon. The kids were all cranky, getting ready for nap time, and as they climbed into orbit, they began to settle into what they all knew as "ship routine", the cargo hold now a playroom for the children with built in sleeping cots for naps. Devin ran to his usual spot and climbed in, ready to fly. "Mama drive," he told her, loving being on the ship. Colin was ready to rest, but Calleigh took longer to get settled. Michi was already asleep, and they'd sent Mags to nap as well. There was no argument about who would take the private quarters this trip, everyone agreed Mags would need the extra rest.

Once the kids were settled, the adults met around the holo to discuss strategy. Maura was reviewing protocol for the functions she'd be attending and briefed the group on what she'd learned. Mags had done some research into the Rehab Council's activities, and had looked at what Corso had sent her from his search. He was disturbed that one of the projects the Rehabilitationists had promoted was something called Castellan restraints, an invention of the Empire's scientists to essentially reprogram an individual's brain chemically, so that a keyword could trigger certain behaviors, including total obedience to a set of predetermined rules. This greatly disturbed both Mags and Corso, and they'd not mentioned their search findings until now, when they could all discuss them.

"You're kidding, right? They can inject this, this stuff into someone and after a few weeks that someone can be reprogrammed?" Aric was shocked, his face showing his thoughts.

"Apparently the side effects were too great for their research to continue, but there's some indication that Castellan restraints might still be in use in the Imperial Intelligence." Mags hated to even think of the consequences of this serum, and truly hoped the rumors were false.

"Well, if this is true and this stuff exists, theoretically someone could be controlled with only a word." Miriah looked thoughtful. "Wonder if they would know or remember what they'd done afterward?" She shook her head, this sounded too farfetched to believe, but if Mags thought it possible, she'd have to at least consider the possibility. Miriah was still mulling this over when she went to cook dinner for them, and nearly cut herself twice before she managed to put it out of her mind.

Felix and Aric joined Corso on the bridge, but no one wanted to really discuss this latest development. They just sat, looking at the star streaks. Finally Aric spoke. "Gentlemen, what the void have we gotten ourselves and our wives into?" Corso just shook his head, and Felix paced.

"I knew when we started this, that there was more to it than we realized. Otherwise, Garza would have just turned the investigation over to SIS," Felix said, his voice thoughtful as he roamed back and forth over the bridge.

"Felix, Mags health is way more important than anything else here. You two don't have to be involved." Corso was genuinely concerned for his sister in law's health and that of their unborn son.

Felix and Aric both snorted at him. "You know that won't fly. She'd never be able to just sit by and watch, any more than Maura or Miriah would." Felix sat heavily, and sighed. "They're all such strong people individually, together they're formidable, and with us included in the mix, somewhat unstoppable." He slowly started to grin, and Corso and Aric joined him.

They had dinner and watched a holovid, trying to relax and forget their earlier discussion. It mostly worked, and Miriah was happily snuggled into Corso. He had his arm around her, and he was feeling sleepy when Devin came running to them, tears on his little face. He practically leapt into his mother's arms, sniffling and unable to tell her what was wrong. After a few minutes he relaxed on Miriah's shoulder, and Corso could see he was asleep.

"Bad dream, you think?" Corso asked his wife, concerned about his son. She nodded, settling her son in her lap.

"Poor little guy," Mags said, reaching over to lightly touch her nephew, her calming touch relaxing him further. Miriah stood to take him back to his bed, and Corso helped her, steadying her when she stood. As she tucked him in and stood, Corso hugged her.

"Think he's okay?" he whispered to her, his concern in his voice. She nodded, and they went to their quarters. "Is he feeling anxious because you are? Or is he just growing, like Mags said? He usually is such a good sleeper, it worries me." He sat on the bed to take his boots off, seeing her thoughtfully sit as well.

"I think he's picking up on my emotions. I was a little freaked out by the whole mind control thing, maybe he just sensed that." She slid her boots off, and put her head in her hands, propped on her knees. "I hate that he's so affected by my moods and feelings. Makes me feel guilty if he's upset or can't sleep." She felt Corso kneel beside her, his hands pulling hers away from her face.

"You can't control everything, kitten. He'll get past it, you know kids are more sensitive when they're young." He rubbed her back. "Or maybe we just replace the anxiety with something else," he told her, as he brought her chin up to kiss her.

Magdalane felt her sister let go of her restless anxiety and relax, and knew her brother in law would soothe her. She turned to see Felix staring at her, a question in his eyes. They made their excuses to Aric and Maura, then went to their quarters. She turned to Felix, "What is it, love, that you're worried about? I'm well, the baby is fine, Michi is fine." She started to undress, a much more pleasant activity now that she didn't have the heavy Jedi robes to care for.

"Would you at least consider the possibility of just being support on this mission? I'm worried about you doing too much, and you can be just as valuable doing background work." He hung his head, slightly embarrassed that he would even ask this of her. She crossed to him, gently touching his face with her fingers.

"I repeat, I am fine. I am resting well, and eating well. Love, I have to be in this, I know the players too well to not be there." She sat beside him on the bed. "I know you worry, you always have, but you have to trust me when I tell you I am alright. My sisters need me there, and I will do what I can, but if that interferes with Ian's health, you know I'll do whatever is necessary." He nodded, he did know that. It didn't keep him from worrying, but he did know that she was vigilant as well.

Maura and Aric turned off the holo, checked the twins, and retired to the crew bunks. Maura seemed resigned to her role once they were on Coruscant, and Aric was pleased she'd stepped up and conquered at least some of her fears. They cuddled together and slept peacefully.

Sarai lay awake in the quarters she'd fashioned for herself in the spacious secondary hold, feeling the ebb and tide of emotions on the ship. Calleigh and Devin, the more force sensitive of the children, felt the undercurrent of vague unease that prevailed through the ship. She felt it then, the soft warm air that surrounded her body. She always associated it with her late husband, and she finally fell asleep, feeling as if the force itself were looking after them all.


	19. Chapter 19

Sorry gang, work schedule has been insane, but I'll try to update at least a couple times a week

"I hate this place," Miriah muttered, settling Devin on her hip and grabbing a gear bag with her other hand. Corso took the bag from her and she reached for another, only to have him take that one, too. She looked at him as he moved in front of her.

"Just worry about carrying Dev, kitten, I've got these." She saw the other men doing essentially the same to their wives, Maura with Colin and Sarai with Calleigh. She sighed and tried to calm her nerves, knowing her son would pick up on the feelings. She walked to the taxi stand, only to be stopped by a trooper in full armor.

"Ma'am, I'm Major Blessing, here to escort your group to the complex." Miriah had to grin at that, and when she heard Maura greet the solidier, the grin got bigger.

"Blessing! Where ya been, you slacker!" They did the forearm clasp that Miriah had seen countless other soldiers do, and realized that her sister had possibly been in command of this man at one point. "Made major already, I knew you'd learn something from Havoc." Miriah nodded to herself, yep, she was right.

"Yes sir, I'm in charge of seeing your group safely to the complex, so I'd say I've been given a pretty important assignment. My whole unit sings your praises daily, you know." He took a couple of bags himself, and greeted everyone as they gathered, and turned to Miriah. "Captain Riggs, do you have any special requests in regards to your ship?"

"Just keep her safe, Major. She's refueling now, and we're stocked for other supplies. I've set the security, and my C2 unit is staying aboard." Miriah nodded at the young man, realizing that he was perhaps only a year or so younger than she was. She watched as the trooper held out his hands to Calleigh, who went to him readily, and then offered his arm to Sarai, and they set off toward the military complex.

They met with General Garza once the children were napping, Sarai staying in the large apartment with them. "The first soiree is tomorrow night, so be ready to mingle and network. All the candidates will be present, and will answer questions in a casual setting. Jurin will be there as the SIS representative." She spoke to them while examining each of them. "You didn't bring any of the babies with you?" she asked, clearly disappointed.

Aric explained they were napping, and then brought up what they all were anxious to know more about. "Our research shows that there was a block of time when Jurin was unaccounted for, about a year ago. At the same time, a group who calls themselves the Rehabilitationists had a convention here. Can you tell us anything about that time frame?"

"Hmm, I cannot, but I will have my assistant research it."

"No, please, just let us work on it. The fewer who have details about what we're doing here, the better." He paced, and wondered again how the general didn't see that anyone in her office could be suspect. "And along the same lines, I'd like to put an independent contractor on the transponder station to check it out. We'll just include their fees in the final cost analysis." Garza nodded.

"The research facilities and anything else you might need are open to you. We'll meet again just before the dinner tomorrow night." Garza turned to go, but Miriah stopped her.

"Your daughter is safe? And the Balmorran senate is still here?" she asked, wondering about the proximity of possible targets.

"They are all still here, and Diedre is in the same area as they all are. We felt it would be better to maintain a certain distance, given what you're working on here. But I do believe they are safe." Miriah nodded at this and they made their way back to the apartment. Sarai had all the kids sitting in a circle on the floor, handing out cookies, when the entered. Magdalane made her way to one of the large sofas, stretching out after the walk. Devin saw her and got up from the circle, a cookie in each hand, and walked over to her.

"An' Mags need cookie," he told her, his little face solemn, his hand extended with a cookie in it, waiting for her to take the treat. The fact that her nephew recognized her lack of energy, and would willingly give her his own cookie to help her, touched Mags heart. She saw his slight smile, and returned it, taking the cookie from his outstretched hand.

"Thank you, Devin." His father's smile stretched his face, and she kissed his forehead. His force aura has grown, she thought, interesting. He patted her face and returned to the cookie circle, and after her cookie, Mags slipped into a much needed nap.

Felix and Corso saw the cookie exchange. "Devin is such a sweet boy," Felix commented, and Corso agreed.

"He sure picks up on emotions easily. Whenever I'm not sure if Miriah is upset, all I have to do is observe Dev, he'll know before anyone else," he replied, then wondered if his son was truly force sensitive. Maybe he is just like his mom, and senses things with the force, but not able to control it. It sparked a small worry in his mind, but just then Miriah approached him with a question in her eyes, and he turned his focus on her.

"If the Balmorran senate is here, who is running the planet? And if they're doing their thing from this distance, how are they communicating and with whom?" She glanced at Felix, who shrugged, and repeated her question when Aric and Maura joined them.

"Not sure, Spitfire, but we need to check that commlink. I sent a secure message to the guy I want to check out the transponder station, he'll have a crew up there in the next day. Then we'll know if their communications are being rerouted." Aric had Colin's toy blaster in his hand, bringing it to Corso for another repair. "I've got to get the boy an assault cannon, maybe he can't break one of those."

"Oh yes, he could," Maura said, laughing. "But he'd have fun doing it." She had her datapad in her hand, and waved it at them. "The elections committee just sent a dossier of each of the candidates, so I forwarded it to your datapads. Read up, we'll all need to know these guys so we know who to talk to." She glanced at the kids, all playing in the living area, and saw that Devin was sitting beside the couch were Mags was sleeping, quietly playing with blocks. It was unusual to see the child sitting still, she thought, but he seems happy enough. She saw that Miriah had seen him too, and then Corso told him about taking the cookie to Mags, and Miriah felt her heart swell with love for her son.

"He's such a sweetie," she said, putting her head on Corso's shoulder.

"He gets that from you, kitten." He kissed her temple, to the groans of the others.

"You two are too much," Maura said, rolling her eyes with a smile. She was feeling much more relaxed about the mission and her role, and wasn't sure if it was due to Sarai or Mags' force use. She was about to tease Miriah more, but the door chimed and she went to answer it instead. Their dresses had arrived, and the noise had woken Mags, who came to view them as they were unpacked. The droid assigned to their apartment took them to be pressed and readied, and Miriah and Maura went to cook dinner together.

"Maura, I can tell you're feeling more at ease with all this," Miriah told her sister as they chopped vegetables together. "What changed?"

"I really don't know, but I suspect a little force use," she replied, concentrating to make her cuts as even as Miriah did effortlessly. "Whatever the reason, I'm glad. I don't want to mess up, we need to figure this out." She dumped the cut vegetables into the large skillet Miriah had prepped, and began to stir them together. "What are we making here, anyway?"

"New recipe, saw it on a holonet show. Thought I'd tweak it a bit, should be good." Miriah always said cooking was a mixture of creativity and experimentation, Maura thought. They fed the kids, then sat down to eat, everyone exclaiming over the new dish. Once the kids were all in bed, they gathered to discuss the dossiers that Maura had sent to them.

"I want to make sure we talk to everyone, but I have to say I agree that Jurin is the main target," Aric told them. "If I have to wear stupid clothes, I want to get all I can get out of it." He was still not happy about the attire, even though Maura had assured him he'd be "dashing" in them. He'd been watching his wife, looking for any cracks in the calm confidence he saw in her now. She'd been calm since she woke up this morning, and when he asked her what had changed, she didn't really know. She only said she'd slept soundly, and when she woke, she felt rested and calm. Maybe it's Mags, he thought. Her pregnancy had a way of inducing calm in the group. He looked at his sister in law, at the calm in her face, and was grateful that she was here with them.

They all turned in early, knowing the next day would be a long one. Miriah sought comfort in her husband's arms and he held her, watching her sleep as he worried about the dinner, the mission, and whether his son was becoming force sensitive. He'd said nothing to her about his worries, though, and holding her close made them seem less. She sighed in her sleep, her warm breath against his bare shoulder making him shiver for a second. He was lost in his thoughts when he heard her soft voice.

"Cor?" she mumbled against him.

"I'm here, kitten," he said, squeezing her to him.

"What's wrong? You normally don't have any problems with sleep," she said, scooting up to be at eye level with him, pushing a stray dreadlock off his forehead, then kissing where her fingers had just touched. "I'm fine, Devin is great. I'm not the focus on this mission. So, what is it, love?"

He sighed. "Do you think Devin's force sensitivity has grown? Does he seem more intuitive than usual? Maybe that's what's going on with his sleep lately?" He shifted to prop on his elbow, looking down into her luminous eyes, seeing her own concern there.

"I just don't know, sugar. Maybe we should test him, I think I have the capability to do it on the ship, and no one would ever need to know." She sighed then, and touched his face gently. "If he is, it won't change how we love him." She kissed his cheek, and down his jaw, scrambling his senses. "Nothing we do will change it, or him. We may be worrying for nothing, anyway." She was kissing down his neck then, and when she reached his shoulder, she gently nipped him with her teeth. His vision blurred and his need for her sang in his blood, making him forget why he was awake, at least for the time being.

They were finishing breakfast when their door chimed, and Mags went to greet their visitor. It was Major Blessing, and she invited him inside.

"Just wanted to bring this for the children," he said, pulling a sled with a large box on it. "When I told my squad that my mission yesterday was to get your group secured, they insisted on sending toys for the kids." He wore a silly grin, enjoying being the bringer of gifts. The young major was dressed casually, and wore only a sidearm rather than his armor. Aric and Maura were chatting with the young soldier when they saw Devin and Colin slowly approaching, fascinated by the box. "Hey, little guys, " he told them, "want to see what's in here?" Devin and Colin both nodded, their faces solemn and wondering. When Blessing pulled pod racers with wheels from the box, the boys were mesmerized. There were stuffed animals and puzzles, games and dolls, and the kids were guaranteed to be busy playing.

I'm writing thank you notes, Miriah thought, seeing her son grinning and making pod racer noises with his mouth. Calleigh had pulled a large stuffed kath hound out as her own, reminding Miriah of the one she'd had all through her childhood. They were all still playing when the adults all went to change for their evening out, stopping only to rapidly eat dinner.

Corso finished putting on the formal suit, seeing that Miriah was still struggling with her hair and went to join Aric and Felix on the balcony. Their job was to get the children in bed, and Elara was coming to stay here with them. They were getting tired, Corso saw, and when Devin started to frown, he knew the little boy had reached his limit, and went to pick him up. When they passed their door, Devin said, "Mama nigh-night," and Corso went in, not knowing all the sisters were in there.

"Whoa, sorry ladies, little man needs a goodnight kiss," he said, averting his eyes.

"Relax, Corso, we're all covered. Come here, sweetie man," Miriah said, getting a kiss and hug before Corso took him to his bed. When he returned to the living area, he could see that Aric was getting restless, and saw the change to his face when the women appeared from the hallway. Sarai wore white, a gown of simple cut, that flattered her tiny shape. Magdalane wore black, setting off the silver blonde of her hair, her dress modest but flattering to her growing child. Maura was up next, in an emerald green gown that made her auburn hair and amber eyes glow, showing just enough skin to be interesting. Miriah, being short, wasn't immediately visible, and Corso kept looking. Finally, Maura moved to the side and when he saw her, he stood dead still, staring. Miriah wore a dress of deep red, and every time she moved, the dress shimmered silver, making her eyes sparkle. Her ebony hair was put up in an elaborate style, which was why everyone was helping her earlier. Corso felt his chest thump and he swallowed hard as he walked to her, taking her hands in his and kissing her cheek.

"Simply gorgeous," he told her, seeing the necklace and earrings he'd given her in their place. He was still trying to form his thoughts when Aric said they needed to start out, and he put her hand in the crook of his arm, leading her to the elevator. This could be a long night, he thought, and then they were at the taxi way.


	20. Chapter 20

Corso had a hard time looking away from his wife on the ride to the dinner. Aric had gotten out of the taxi first and was helping each of the women out, their long gowns making the simple act much more difficult. He just lifted the tiny Sarai out and placed her on the walkway, not wanting to risk her falling. Corso got out after her, and only Miriah was left. Corso took her in his arms, twirling her around before putting her feet down on the ground, a huge grin on both their faces. He gazed into her eyes, and only Aric's loud "Ahem" broke their focus on each other.

"Let's keep our heads in the game, you two," he smirked, seeing the blush rise on Miriah's face. He smiled at Maura, who'd turned to see what the hold up was, and took her arm in his, escorting her to the entrance where Sarai and Magdalane waited. Felix hovered around Magdalane, anxious about her being there. Mags felt his unsettled thoughts, and her aura flared briefly in a calming force burst to her husband. She felt Ian do a slow roll inside her, and wondered for a second if she could already feel his force awareness. She pushed that thought aside and focused on Felix, using his strength to balance walking up the stairs.

They spotted the general as they approached the ball room. She was talking with another Republic officer whose chest was covered with decorations. Wonder if that's Jurin, Maura thought, just before the general turned and introduced the SIS agent to the group. He nodded and shook hands, a warm smile on his face.

"So this is the Advantages team? Well done, and welcome. I'm most pleased and honored to meet you all," Jurin said, gesturing toward the door. "Shall we join the party? I'm sure there are many who would like to meet you all." He offered his arm to the general, who took it with a backward glance over her shoulder at Aric and Maura, a glance that seemed to say "see? He's not at all involved in anything."

The group was led inside and instantly Maura was surrounded by people. She tried to maintain her calm, feeling both Sarai and Mags sending her force energy, her hand gripping Aric's arm tightly. I knew this was coming, she thought, I just have to keep smiling and nodding. After half an hour, the conversation around her started to ebb, and she had a chance to look around. She spotted Miriah and Corso talking to a group of younger people, but saw that they both were watching the crowd. Miriah glanced over at her, and nodded, taking Corso's hand and heading toward her. Sarai was already nearby, and she saw Felix help Magdalane stand from the settee she'd been resting on. Maura looked up at Aric, saw the pride in his intense green eyes, and smiled at him.

"You're doing great, honey, " he told her, whispering in her ear, his warm breath on her neck igniting thoughts that had nothing at all to do with a diplomatic dinner. "You look very beautiful tonight. It's a distraction, for me, at least." She gave his arm a squeeze and he circled her waist with his other arm, pulling her into his side, just as another few people came to introduce themselves. He'd been doing his best to remember everyone, but the sight and scent of his wife was proving to be hard to ignore.

They made their way to their table, Magdalane already feeling shaky. She'd make sure to put some crackers in her pocket next time, she thought, taking the chair that Felix pulled out for her and reaching for her water glass. She almost dropped the glass when Miriah grabbed her wrist, running the palm-sized scanner over the liquid. Miriah nodded at her and she drank, thankful her sister was being prudent.

When they were all seated, Miriah turned to her oldest sister. "Mags, who are the power players here?"

"Well, you met Jurin. See that woman he's with now? That's the Minister of Defense. She's new, just started her term. And the one behind them is the Minister of Finance. He's a noble from.."

"Alderaan," finished Corso, a frown on his normally pleasant face. "I remember him, from the last dinner we attended." Miriah touched his hand, knowing the unpleasant memories associated with their mission there. He glanced down at his wife, turning his hand over to lace his fingers with hers, just the contact with her settling his thoughts.

Amazingly, they were at a table by themselves, and were able to relax a little while their food was brought out. Sarai told Maura how well she was doing, making her smile. Aric had taken her hand, absently stroking her wrist with his thumb as they talked. Maura was acutely aware of his touch, and knew if she didn't pull away, she'd be too distracted to work the mission. Aric must have caught her thoughts, or was having the same ones, because he let go of her wrist and instead put his arm over the back of her chair, trying to appear nonchalant.

Felix saw that Magdalane was pale and flagged down a white coated waiter, asking for some bread. The waiter saw Mag's face, and hurried over with a basket loaded with rolls, and more water. She smiled her thanks at the young man, who hurried back to the kitchen and returned, bringing her a steaming bowl of soup. After a few sips, Mag's color returned to normal, and Felix took a deep breath. She turned to her husband then and said what he was thinking. "I may have overdone things today." He nodded, taking her hand in his and kissing her fingers.

"Mags, maybe we can use relays to get info back and forth, and you can stay home for the next one," Miriah said, seeing relief on both her sister and her brother in law's faces. Mags was slowly sipping her soup, feeling much better, when their food arrived. Miriah watched as the food was placed, and ran her mini scanner over their table, nodding when the lights remained green. She felt Corso's eyes on her and glanced at him. "Food's fine to eat, sugar, go ahead," she told him

"You first. I'll match you bite for bite, but you have to eat," he told her. He knew she was trying to concentrate on the mission, but he also knew she would do so to the exclusion of her own needs. She nodded, and took a bite, looking around the room to locate Jurin and Garza. She was watching them when Corso nudged her, urging her to take another bite.

"Just look at them. If I didn't know Garza better, I'd say she had a thing for that guy," she said, absently taking a bite of her food and chewing slowly.

"Garza and Jurin?" Aric asked. "Hmm a possibility I didn't consider. She was pretty adamant that he wasn't the leak when I confronted her about him, but I never got the feeling she was protecting him." He turned to Maura. "Did anyone get a chance to ask her about the brain reprogramming drug?" Maura shook her head.

"I haven't, and I don't think anyone else has seen her other than over the holo since we got here. We really need to sit down with her, see what she knows about this stuff." She daintily dabbed at her mouth with her napkin, turning to locate the pseudo couple. "How much longer do we need to be here?" she asked, anxious to be herself again.

"At least for another hour," Miriah said, "Once the dancing starts we can begin to wind things down. Well, except for Mags. She should go back to the apartment after dinner."

Felix agreed, and said, "We should, Mags, you know we should." Magdalane sighed and nodded. She hated missing out, not being there for her sisters, but knew that they understood.

Once dinner was over, the candidates and their entourages made their way to the next room, where strains of music could be heard from the hallway. Miriah stopped just inside the door, watching the mingling group before her. Corso had gone outside with Felix, to help them get a taxi back to the apartment. And help Mags get into the taxi, she thought with a wry smile. She looked around, seeing trays of champagne being carried through the crowd. Uhoh, she thought, well, at least I've eaten enough to soak up some of the bubbly. She'd just reached out to grab a flute when Corso put one in her hand.

"Just for a toast, cyare, no more than that." She grinned at him, seeing the amusement in his eyes. They were still entranced with each other when Aric and Maura joined them, Sarai following them.

"Easy there, Mir, you know what that stuff does to you," Maura said, laughing as Miriah rolled her eyes. They turned as a group when Supreme Chancellor Saresh began her toast.

"It is my distinct pleasure to be in such great company," Saresh said. "The future of the Republic is in this room, right now. This is the beginning of great things to come. I want to take this opportunity to introduce the candidates. When I call your name, please take your place up on the dias."

Maura looked at Aric in panic, her face suddenly pale and a tremble in her hand that was clenched on his. "Relax, honey. You don't have to speak, just stand. You can do this. I'll be right here, just look at me, okay?" She nodded, swallowing hard, and when Saresh called her name, she strode gracefully to the dias, her emerald green gown floating around her and her head held high. She looks like a queen, Aric thought, and he was so proud of her. He watched as she took her place, looking like she really was running for office. As the candidates all took their place, Saresh raised her glass.

"Here's to a fair and civil contest, and to these fine people who willingly serve the Republic," she said, and smiled when the crowd responded with cheers and the clink of crystal. Miriah drank, but was conscious of how much, and put the flute down quickly, hoping to not be tempted to have more. She caught Maura's eye as her sister started back to the group, and gave her a thumb's up, which made Maura laugh.

Aric met his wife as she approached the group, but swung her around to face the dance floor. "Will you do me the honor, beautiful?" Maura blushed as she nodded, and Aric launched her into a graceful waltz. Sarai stood next to Miriah and they watched, Sarai letting out a little sigh.

"He's an enigma," she told her youngest daughter. "All tough and macho and male, and then you see him with the twins on each hip or," she gestured to the couple on the dance floor, "dancing as if he does it every day, and you can't help but admire his many talents." Miriah chuckled, but nodded her agreement. Aric was truly one of a kind, and she thought he was the perfect mate for her sister.

"Well the ruse is certainly convincing, but have we learned anything this evening?" she asked her mother, who shook her head. "Well, other than Garza might be attracted to Jurin?"

Corso joined them then and shook his head as well. He'd hoped to have a better grasp on what was going on by now, but so far everything seemed to be exactly what it appeared to be. He tugged on the slightly tight collar of his shirt, ready to be out of the formal suit. He saw Garza and Jurin then, on the dance floor. He saw that Aric and Maura were there as well, and turned to his wife.

"I owe you a dance, kitten, from the last one of these we attended." He held out his hand, and she placed her much smaller one in his and smiled. He led her to the floor, waited for the beat, and to her surprise they floated along.

"How is it that you're suddenly a good dancer?" she asked, her face showing her amazement. He chuckled at her, held her closer and danced for a minute before he answered.

"How could I refuse to learn something that allows me to hold you close in public when you look so very beautiful?" She sighed a happy sigh and put her head on his chest, content.

Corso scanned the room over her head, but could see nothing worth noting. Garza was talking to Saresh, and there were plenty of people dancing. He noticed Jurin approaching Sarai, saw her astonished blush when he asked her to dance, and her reluctant acceptance of that invitation. He smiled, he knew his mother in law would use her force skills to analyze the agent.

Sarai looked into the dark blue eyes of Colonel Jurin, and saw that while he was intensely uncomfortable being in a social setting, he was not trying to hide anything from her. He smiled pleasantly at the tiny woman who was so serious, and easily led her in dance. She complimented his form, and he laughed, telling her he had no idea what he was doing but his feet apparently had been taught at some point. She puzzled that response, but the song ended shortly after and she thanked him for the dance, returning to Miriah's side, who was now looking for something other than champagne to drink.

"Hi Mom. So, what's his story?" Miriah asked, as she spotted some sparking water at the end of the table.

"Not really sure, Mir, he seems sincere and I felt no deception from him." Sarai took the glass Miriah offered her and filled it with the very cold water. "He's got a good sense of humor, and dances well." She drank deeply, felt the emotional temperature of the room ramp up a few degrees when Corso rejoined them, and smiled at her son in law. Maura and Eric joined them and by mutual agreement started toward the taxi stand. Miriah shivered in the night air, her shoulders bare. Corso took off his jacket and wrapped her both in the fabric and his arms, kissing the back of her neck as he held her. They were standing there waiting when they saw Garza exit on Jurin's arm, and exchanged looks with raised eyebrows.

Back at the apartment, the couples thanked Elara and checked on their children before retiring to their rooms. Maura was thankful to take off the shoes that had been pinching her feet all night, much preferring her soft boots to those torture devices. Aric knelt and removed the second one, running his warm hand up her leg, getting her full attention. "You were perfect, hon, from the dress to the way you walked up for the introduction. Regal, cool, devastatingly beautiful. And mine. All mine. That's the part I liked best, thinking that." He pulled her up and into him, and with just a few motions the emerald green gown lay in a puddle at the end of the bed, its former occupant now wrapped around the muscular Cathar, not thinking of anything but him.

Felix had helped Magdalane undress earlier, and despite her attempts otherwise, resisted her and made her lie down. He was still awake when he heard the others return, but didn't want to disturb his wife's rest. There was some comfort in knowing he'd been right about her over doing, but not enough to make him feel better that she was exhausted. I want them both healthy, he thought, gently rubbing the distended skin over his son. He lay awake for quite some time, trying not to worry about them both but failing miserably.

Miriah had taken her stiletto heels off in the elevator, and Corso returned from checking on Devin to find her covered in the hot, fragrant water of the bath she'd loved when they were here before. He knelt beside her, kissing her. She opened her eyes, and he saw the passion there. He picked her up out of the water, sat her feet down and quickly toweled her off before lifting her again and taking her to their bed. He'd wanted to put his mouth on her skin ever since he'd first seen her in the red dress, and now was his chance. She laughed as he struggled with his suit, but the laughter soon turned to sighs and breathy whispers as he loved her slowly, drawing out their time together until they were both spent.

Sarai stood on the balcony of the apartment in the dim light from the city, looking out, wondering why Jurin was such a blank page, so devoid of anything she could detect with the force. She puzzled this for some time, then slowly turned to go inside, still unsure what it meant.


	21. Chapter 21

**Thanks and acknowledgment given to Wookiepedia for the info on Castellan restraints**

Maura tossed and turned, her dreams of the evening making her relive the event. Aric lay beside her, not wanting to disturb her rest but wondering if she was really resting when she was so agitated. Finally he sat up, gently shaking her shoulder. Maura's eyelids fluttered open and the anxiousness that he saw in her eyes disappeared when she looked into his. "What's wrong, honey? Bad dreams?" he asked her with a sleep roughened voice. She only nodded, unable to voice the turmoil of her thoughts, and put her hand on his bare chest, seeking the comfort of his arms, which he readily gave her. She snuggled into his warmth, and he could feel her heartbeat return to normal, her breathing even out. "Better?" he asked her, kissing her head as she nodded. He thought she'd gone back to sleep when she spoke.

"Maybe Garza is right, and Jurin has no involvement. Problem is, I can't think of anyone else I met or saw tonight that fits the criteria of the leak. What if we're off track here?" She turned her face up to look into his eyes, and saw that he had doubts now as well.

"All we can do is keep looking. We should hear something from the transponder station tomorrow, maybe that will give us a better idea." He gently squeezed her against him. "Meanwhile, since we are already awake…" he said, running his hand along her side. She grinned before she kissed him, but the sliver of doubt remained, just floating in her head.

Magdalane felt her sister's confusion, and since she'd gone to sleep so early, was now wide awake and felt rested for a change. She could feel Felix's body against her back and it made her smile. He was always so steady, so solid. She reached out with the force to see what the status of everyone was, and smiled when she felt Aric and Maura. Miriah and Corso were both sleeping deeply, and she felt her mom sleeping as well. All the kids were resting well, and she felt her son stir inside her. No, little one, this is resting time, she thought. She shifted slightly and felt her son grow quiet. Felix was finally sleeping, his face relaxed in slumber, and she wanted to kiss him but stopped herself. No, he's so stressed with making sure everyone's okay, I can't wake him, she thought. Instead, she sent out a gentle flow of calming energy to the whole group, and closed her eyes. She wasn't asleep but was resting when she felt Felix reach for her, assuring himself that she was still there. His arm draped over her swollen waist and when Ian felt the weight on her stomach, he responded with a sharp kick, making his mother smile. Only a couple more months, she thought, and our little family will be complete. She was in a semiconscious state when her force sense alerted her to a sudden spike of terror nearby, at the same time their door chime started ringing incessantly.

Corso, ever vigilant, reached the door first, Torchy in his hand. Felix had joined him, and asked Corso what was going on. Corso shrugged, and looked at the security screen to see Helena Garza in a panic, and he hit the panel to unlock the door. Garza entered, grabbing Corso's forearms, tears streaming down her face.

"You have to help! Where's Magdalane? He needs her, quickly!" She was still holding on to Corso when the women joined them in the living room. "Magdalane, it's Gregor…Colonel Jurin. Please, come now!" She turned, still holding onto Corso and pulled him out into the hallway, making a sprint across to her apartment. He followed, glancing over his shoulder at Miriah and pointing to his chest. She ran to their room and grabbed a shirt then joined the others at Garza's door. She handed the shirt to her husband and he gratefully pulled it over his head. Garza was fumbling at her door code, finally just slapping it in frustration. She turned to the group and put her head in her hands, took a deep breath and entered her code once again, which she'd managed to get right. Aric turned to Maura then, and got her attention.

"Maura, the kids.." he started, then saw Sarai wave at them from their doorway, and he took a deep breath. "Thank the stars for your mom," he told Maura, getting a smile from her. He swung around to see what the fuss was about.

The group entered the meticulously neat apartment, and saw Jurin. He was standing still, a totally blank look on his face, and he didn't look up when the group entered. Garza approached him and put her hand on his arm, having finally let go of Corso. Jurin turned his eyes to her, but there was no recognition, no response.

"What happened here, General?" Magdalane asked in a hushed voice. Felix stood beside her, holding her hand, feeling her cool calm wash over the group.

"We were talking, having a nightcap, and suddenly he just…just…checked out. He hasn't spoken since, just stands there, staring." The general had changed out of her formal dress, but Jurin was still in his much decorated uniform, lending his lack of presence even more gravity. Magdalane approached him, reaching out to him with the force, trying to understand what was happening. She could see no biological issues other than those normal with age, but she could feel nothing of his mind. No presence at all, she thought, and that is very very bad. She looked at the general with compassion on her face. "I cannot find anything wrong with his body, general, but his mind is a total blank."

Garza paced, then turned to Jurin and said, "Gregor, sit down." He did, which surprised her, so she gave him another instruction. "Stretch out and rest, sleep if you want," she told him, her voice filled with gentleness and caring. He did as she said, closing his eyes, seeming at peace. Magdalane motioned them back out into the hallway, and they silently trooped back to their apartment, Garza following them.

Sarai had started the caffa and was waiting for them, anxious for her friend whom she could feel was confused and worried. She could see from the look on Mag's face that there was something serious going on. They all sat, and when Garza had caffa in front of her, Magdalane addressed the group. "When I scanned Jurin, there was nothing , and I mean nothing, going on in his mind. I know you all don't want to think about it, but this just might be a result of the application of the Castellan restraints." She looked around at the faces in front of her, seeing the horror on them that she felt when she'd realized Jurin's mind was a blank canvas. "That's why they were never expounded on, at least that we've been able to find. I don't know what or why, but somehow he was given this, this serum or drug or stim, however it's administered, and now it's wiped out everything." Garza sobbed, her hands covering her face.

"No, it can't be. He was there, then he was just different. How can a change like that be so sudden? You all saw him tonight, there was no change in his normal behavior, he was himself not twenty minutes ago. How can someone's mind just be here one minute and be totally gone the next, with no physical changes or injuries?" She looked around at the group, not able to comprehend what she'd seen.

Corso cleared his throat. "Ma'am, I don't know exactly the chemistry of it, it was beyond my understanding when I read about it, but apparently this drug causes the patient to respond to a certain set of instructions, sometimes by a keyword and sometimes by a key action. It supposedly takes about three weeks from the time it's given until the remapping is done, but I'm betting you unknowingly stumbled onto a keyword or sequence when you were talking that triggered this response." He looked at Magdalane with uncertainty, but relaxed when he saw her nodding at him.

"That's exactly what I think happened, Corso. And we read the same report, you understood it better than you thought," she told him, giving him a slight smile as he blushed. "Problem is, without knowing what the trigger was, how can we reset it? Or him?" she wondered out loud. Aric had been listening intently to the conversation and turned to start booting up the four terminals in the work area.

"Looks like some extensive research is in order here. Let's get going on this," he said as he walked over to the general. "General, it might be best for you to stay with him, keep him from getting up and wandering off or something. We'll let you know what we find here, just as soon as we find something."

"I'm going too, in case she needs help or just someone to talk to, " Sarai chimed in, getting a grateful look from Garza. They stood and walked out, Sarai's aura flaring briefly as they walked. Magdalane watched them, waiting for them to be in the other apartment before starting to talk again.

"If he's been programmed to have a total memory wipe at a certain keyword or at a certain time, then we may be out of luck here, but I won't give up just yet." She turned to Felix, who was watching her carefully, and reached out to put her hand on his. "I'm fine, love, I slept quite a long time since you made me go to bed so early." She smiled at him, and he felt her strength.

Miriah stood behind Corso, watching as he entered search terms and then waited to see what would pop up. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, and he pulled her into his lap, hugging her close. They didn't need words, their concern was mutual and as they always did, they turned to each other for comfort. "Thanks for the shirt, kitten. I need to remember to dress before I pick up a blaster," he told her in a low voice. "You should go lie down, try to rest some more." She snorted her laugh at him.

"Yeah, I'm sure I'd really get some sleep. You're here, I'm here. Besides, maybe if we find something soon.." she was interrupted by the computer's alert sound. "See? I'm your lucky charm," she laughed, kissing her husband before getting up so that he could read the screen.

"What did you find, Cor? Cause I got nothing here," Aric grumbled, sipping from his caffa mug.

"Well, I got some results on the holonet because I specifically didn't use a Republic engine. This is actually an Imperial document, and it's totally classified. I'll have to see if I can break the encryption, and it's going to take awhile," he sighed, his arm around his wife's waist, his head leaning on her. She stood there, silently stroking his hair.

"What about Jettison?" she asked him. "He might be able to help." She looked into the dark brown of Corso's eyes, seeing his indecision there.

"He might, but I have a feeling that once I start working on this, we may alert someone on the other end, and I don't want to put Jet in danger, especially if I'm not there to protect him." She saw the reluctance to even work on it himself, but knew he could do nothing else. She left him with his brow furrowed, deep in thought and his fingers flying over the keyboard, and walked to the kitchen to do what she did to deal with stress.

Maura joined her there, still glowing from having only just finished loving Aric when the door chime had gone nuts. "This is insane," she said to her younger sister, seeing Miriah's nod in response. "I can't help feeling sorry for the general, I think she really has a thing with this guy." She moved as Miriah started rolling dough on the countertop, and gathered the butter and cinnamon, setting them down near her sister's work area.

"Thanks," Miriah told her absently. "Thing is, what would they have been talking about that might have triggered this? I mean, surely a keyword or sequence would be fairly obscure, so that the victim wouldn't encounter it on a daily basis, right? So that makes me think that maybe it was predetermined that at this point in time he would trigger." She sighed, shaking her head. "I just don't know, Maura, how this would work. And why now? The dinner was totally uneventful, other than Corso dancing with me." She smiled at her sister's laugh. "Well, that was totally unexpected. He never dances other than in the kitchen at home." They worked together in silence, putting the rich ingredients into their places and making cinnamon rolls for the group. When the smell of sugar and cinnamon filled the air, they were suddenly joined by the others, who were all getting hungry.

"Damn, whatever it is smells amazing," Aric said, his stomach uttering an audible growl. He looked sheepish as he said, "well, I'm used to Miriah food. That food at the dinner was almost inedible compared to hers." They all agreed, and when Miriah caught Corso's eyes, he shook his head slightly. He still hadn't broken the encryption, but she knew he was working on it. They milled around the kitchen, getting drinks and plates together, anxiously waiting for the oven timer. When it dinged, and Miriah took the rolls out of the oven, Felix volunteered to take some to Garza's apartment. Miriah handed him the plate with a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, Felix, for being you," she told him, and he blushed as he walked to the door. Magdalane smiled, her youngest sister enjoyed making them all blush, she thought. When Felix returned, they all sat and ate together, talking not possible with their mouths all full. Corso had just finished his second cinnamon roll when the computer alert sounded, and he jumped up to hurry to the terminal. What he saw there was a partial encryption, but it was enough to make him lose his appetite.

"_Summary: The Castellan restraints are designed for limited behavior modification in a high-risk subject. In effect, the subject is programmed to react to a keyword with total obedience. Long-term commands can be implanted, but with lowered effectiveness. Once programming is activated, the subject will be aware of his inability to control his actions but unable to revolt._"

―Classified report, Imperial Intelligence Archives, Dromund Kaas[src]

Corso looked at the group, the apprehension apparent on his face. "I'm not sure we can do anything at all," he said, and hugged Miriah to him as the others mulled over this turn in events, no one having any ideas as to what would happen next.


	22. Chapter 22

Sarai and Helena Garza sat in soft chairs well away from the sleeping colonel, talking quietly. They head a light knock rather than the door chime, and Sarai crossed to find Felix bringing pastries. She thanked him, and he left after a hug. Sarai brought the plate with the delicious smells to her friend. "You have to try these, Miriah is truly an amazing baker."

Helena smiled wanly at her friend, but took a small bite. Her eyes opened wide, and she took another bite. "No kidding, she is amazing!" They ate in silence, and didn't see that the colonel had been awakened by the aroma of cinnamon. He sat up slowly, blinking, and looked around. When he stood, the women both realized he was awake and Garza spoke to him. "Gregor, can you hear me?"

Jurin turned his head to her voice, but couldn't respond verbally. He managed to nod once, and shuffled over to them, following his nose to the pastries. He hesitantly took one, and the scared look on his face was replaced by pure joy when he bit into the cinnamon roll. He took it over to the sofa and sat, engrossed in eating and enjoying it.

Sarai reached out with the force and sent Magdalane a message to come back over. In a few seconds, her very pregnant daughter was entering the general's apartment, a serene smile on her face. Calm radiated from her, and as she approached Jurin he looked up and tried to smile. She gently put her hand on his, and her force aura flared, making him close his eyes against the brilliant light. When the light from her aura dimmed, he opened his eyes to see her start to move away. He grabbed the young woman's hand with his own, his fear and anxiety plain on his face. She infused Gregor with calm, seeing him relax, and he gave her a small nod as she moved away. Magdalane crossed to where the two women sat, and joined them .

"He's beginning to have some thought processes again, obviously, and making connections. There's still a lot of damage, and he may have a long recovery ahead. Let's try to reorient him slowly, no overload of information or anything, and maybe get Elara Dorne up here to check him out. Officially we might say he's had a stroke, the symptoms are very similar anyway." She turned to the general. "He recognizes you, and has great affection for you. He'll trust you implicitly, but he might not tolerate a lot of questions. He's not able to verbalize, and I highly doubt his motor skills will allow him to write." She sighed. "He's there, at least, but trapped."

Garza sniffed, and sighed as well. "I'll do whatever you think best, Magdalane. Your diplomatic background will be of great help in negotiating this." She watched the poor man thoroughly enjoy his cinnamon roll and smiled, her heart shining in her eyes. Sarai glanced up at Mags and smiled at her daughter.

"We'll leave you alone, Helena. Maybe now you can both rest. As soon as it gets a little later, we'll get in touch with Dorne." Garza nodded, and the two older women hugged. Sarai followed Mags to their apartment in silence.

It was still in the wee hours of the morning, and Corso had left the decryption running and gone back to bed with Miriah. Aric and Maura occupied the long sofa, and Felix was settled in the oversized chair. Mags approached him, and he rose, taking her hand and leading her to their room. Sarai went to lie back down as well, and soon they were all resting.

Hours later, Corso could see the faint light of morning as he lay in bed, having been awakened by his Miriah, her warm lips placing kisses down his chest. He sighed in relaxed contentment, hearing her with their son, giggling and singing to him. She's in a great mood today, he thought. After that wake up, I am too. He smiled to himself, thinking he was the luckiest guy in the galaxy, and then his thoughts turned to Jurin and the decryption that was still running. He still had a healthy mistrust of the colonel, but would do whatever he could to help him recover. He sat up just as Devin rounded the doorway, launching himself into the bed, his little arms going around his dad's neck. "Morning, son," Corso told him, smiling at him. When Miriah got close enough, he pulled her in for a long kiss, Devin patting both their faces. "Wish we could just stay in bed all day," he told her, murmuring against her lips.

"Me, too, "she whispered back. "Maybe we'll be home soon, and we can do that one day." They smiled at each other, knowing that would never happen with the interruptions they constantly had on the ranch. "Maybe, soon, when we feel comfortable leaving Dev for a few days, we'll take a little second honeymoon somewhere." She giggled as Devin hugged her tight.

"Hungry," he told her, kissing her cheek.

"Okay, little man, let's find you some breakfast. I think I hear Colin up as well." She stood with the little boy on her slender hip, gave her husband a wicked smile, and turned to tend to the children. He watched her go, already longing for her again. His contented mood lasted until he showered and reached the work space, seeing that his decryption was still running, and that no new search hits had popped up. He was still there when Mags and Aric joined him, Mags relating the recent "reboot" of Jurin's brain and Aric wondering if Elara could shed some light into the situation. He'd sent her a message on her data pad, hoping he wouldn't wake her, but hadn't heard anything from her yet.

Maura and Miriah had the children at the table, where they were all happily eating breakfast. "I swear Michi is growing every day. We should keep Mags from picking her up, at least from the floor," Maura said, seeing Miriah nod.

"Devin is hard for me to do that with now," she confessed, smiling when Devin grinned at the mention of his name. "I can't imagine lifting him if I were pregnant." She turned at Maura's gasp.

"You're.."

"No, silly, I said 'if'," Miriah laughed. "But soon, I think. We're not trying to not be, so I figure that since we're getting to spend more time together, it'll be sooner than later." She smiled shyly, thinking of their morning. Maura hugged her then, grinning broadly.

"If that smile is any indication, you already are," she laughed, and dodged Miriah's swat. They cleaned up the kids and let them go play, the toys they'd been given still fascinating them. Sarai joined them, looking a little tired but hopeful.

"I see everyone's in fine spirits this morning," she said, grabbing another of the rolls that Miriah had made in the middle of the night. "This is sure strange business, though. And I want Mags getting more rest than she's been getting."

"I'm fine, Mom, really," Mags told her, entering the dining room, Aric and Felix behind her. Corso had remained with his terminal, tweaking and searching. "Miriah, sit. I've got breakfast for us," Mags said, to the astonished looks of the others. "Relax, even I can rewarm these excellent cinnamon rolls." They laughed in relief, Miriah shaking her head.

"We don't have a function tonight, and I'm wondering if we need to continue the ruse," Maura said, looking around at the others.

"Well we know that Jurin didn't dose himself, so yes, we need to continue to see if we can figure out the link," Aric said, taking her hand. "I think you're doing a great job so far, hon. Let's keep it up a bit longer, see what we can learn." She nodded at him, squeezing his fingers in her own. "And I meant to ask last night, but it escaped me. Does anyone know how Diedre and Paolo are doing?"

"Helena said they're well, in the diplomat's quarters. Paolo asks about going back to the ranch, so you might have a small visitor if he can arrange it," Sarai told them with a smile. "You should see her at tomorrow night's dinner."

Miriah left the group, taking a plate and a mug of caffa to the work area, where she saw Corso staring at his terminal. "Here, sugar. Take a few minutes to eat," she told him, sitting in the chair beside him, seeing his gratitude for the food on his face.

"Thanks, kitten. I was about to come in there, but thought of another search to try, " he told her, taking a sip of the caffa and sighing, a smile stretching across his face. "Have I told you today how much I love you?" She smiled, kissed his nose, and turned to leave. "Where you going, beautiful? Stay here, with me," he said, grabbing her arm.

"I need to check on the kiddos and Mags. Mom thinks she's doing too much," she told him, giving him a kiss. He reluctantly let her go, but watched as she walked away. Soon, he thought, she'll be needing the extra attention, he thought. Or at least he hoped so. He sat back in his chair, sipping the caffa and thinking about Miriah and possibly another child. He was still musing when Aric and Felix returned, and seeing the look on his friend's face, Aric had to tease.

"I'm sure you're not thinking about this search anymore, " he said, grinning at Corso and the blush he knew would follow. "I saw her leave here a minute ago, you're still distracted." Felix laughed, and took the chair Miriah had been sitting in.

"I don't blame you, Cor, our women all have us beguiled. You'd tease me all the time if you knew how distracted I've been on guard duty when we were still in the diplomatic corps. Now I worry more than daydream, but when the little guy is here, I'll be in the same place you are. And Aric, I've seen you get googly eyed on a daily basis, too." They all laughed, knowing Felix's words were true.

"And I'm still no closer to getting more info on the Castellan restraints. This decryption keeps crashing, and I'm beginning to suspect we're being thwarted on the other end. " Corso tapped the keys, trying to work his magic, with no luck. He sighed, leaning back against the chair. "It's no good. I'm going to have to figure out another way. Did Elara get back in touch yet?"

"Yes, she said she'll be here soon, and has someone she wants us to meet. She doesn't know anything yet other than we're working on the Balmorran puzzle." He was interrupted by the chime of his data pad. "And here's the report from the transponder station. They removed all the extraneous hardware there, and it's officially bug free now." He sighed, thinking of the soldiers and the lost shuttle, and shook his head.

The door chime sounded, and Sarai let Elara and, to their surprise, Major Blessing in. "Hi, guys, " Elara trilled, the excitement in her voice spilling over the group. "I know you know Jay, but you don't know that we got engaged last night!" The women squealed and hugged, exclaimed over her ring and the men slapped Blessing on the back in congratulations. Once they all had caffa and had gathered around the dining table, Elara looked at Aric expectantly. "Okay, Major. What's going on?" she asked.

Aric briefed the young couple on the recent events, and saw the horror pass over Elara's face at the mention of the Castellan restraints. "We were briefed on that at the Academy, but that's the last I've heard of them. You know I don't have any contacts there, but I'm wondering if the holocron library on Tython might have some data stored."

"Good idea, " Sarai replied, "I'll get in touch with the librarian, tell her I'm working on some research." She left the table to retrieve her data pad. The others continued to discuss the current situation, and Miriah wandered over to where the children were playing, catching Devin as he ran to her.

"Hey sweetie, having fun?" she asked him, grinning at his smiling face.

"Cookie?" he asked her, hope in his voice. She laughed and nodded, calling for them all to gather for a snack. She sat them down out on the balcony, and when they all had two cookies, she looked up to see a drone fly overhead. That's odd, she thought, and made a mental note to mention it to the rest of the group. She herded the kids inside, uneasy at the thought of being monitored, and told the others.

"I'm not surprised, if whoever is controlling Jurin realizes he's off the grid," Aric commented, scratching his chin. "Maybe Garza needs to put a detail up here, just in case his handler is closer than we think." Blessing nodded, and got up to make a call. "Wait, Blessing, " Aric said. "Let's not use official channels, just in case." The chagrinned young man nodded, finally speaking.

"Sorry, I'm so used to following set chains of command…" He was interrupted by Aric.

"No worries, man, before I got out I would have done the exact same thing. We're on the same floor as the general, though, so we'll just walk over." Aric grinned and started across the hall, just as Garza stepped out of the door.

"General, we might need to have.."

"More security up here? I agree, and I'd like Dorne to examine him while she's here, maybe stay and monitor him. I have to put in an appearance at the office, but I won't be gone long," she said. "I'll have Kilo posted here, Blessing is that squad's leader, and he has a fine group. " Aric saw the worry in her face, and almost put his hand on her arm. Old habits, he thought, and stopped himself. "He'll do whatever you tell him to do, he's moving slowly, but moving. He's resting now, it seems the more he sleeps, the more he recovers mentally, so I've just let him." She turned to the elevator. "Thank you, Aric, for all of you being here. I'm not sure I'd have managed this on my own." She gave her former major a small smile, and departed.

Aric caught Sarai as she was playing with the children, sitting in the floor with Calleigh and her kath hound. "Mom, I'm worried about the general. She's not herself, and I know it's worry and no sleep, and all the other stuff. Is there anything else we can do for her?"

"I was planning to suggest that we provide as much support as we can, as she'll allow us to. Miriah is making dinner plans to include her and Jurin, as well as Kilo squad and Elara." She shrugged. "Not much else we can do, son." She patted his arm, using it to rise from the floor, and joined her daughters in the kitchen.

Mags was lying on the couch resting, when Elara came back across the hall. "I've left him resting, he's not alone," she told the Jedi. "Did you see the neural reprogramming taking place with the force?"

Magdalane nodded, "Yes, you could see the associations being reformed, maybe not in the exact manner they'd been disrupted, but in some matrix of connection. He's still much the same?"

"Yes, nonverbal but gross motor skills improving, no issues with nutrition or elimination, he seems to know where he is and how to find things there," she said, looking quickly at Magdalane and then back at her data pad. "I'm more concerned now with why his ability to speak hasn't returned, since I can see the pathways have reformed there."

"It might have been a part of the set of orders he'd been given rather than a physical issue," Mags said, again wondering at the chemical structure of such a compound. She shook her head and rose, hearing Miriah call them for lunch.

Corso waited until Miriah came looking for him, hoping for a few minutes with her held against him. He got his wish, and when her fingertips ran under his shirt, he hoped for more than a few minutes, those he knew he wouldn't get until later. He was so engrossed in her touch that he missed hearing the chime on his computer that told him he'd found another document.


	23. Chapter 23

Miriah worked in the kitchen most of the afternoon, enjoying the relative solitude and making a huge meal for the suddenly expanded group. She smiled as she recalled Corso's excitement at finding another clue about the Castellan restraints, even if he was still having trouble with the decryption. She wondered how Maura and her mom were doing with the little ones, and if Magdalane was resting, as she should be. Corso must have felt her thoughts, and joined her as she chopped herbs for a marinade she knew the family loved, taking another knife out and expertly dicing along with her. They worked silently for a few minutes, content with being in each other's company, when Sarai came in looking for the cookie bin.

"Ah, smells wonderful in here," she said, seeing Corso's smile but noting that her daughter was lost in thought and hadn't looked up.

"The kiddo's okay, Mom?" he asked Sarai, seeing her nod in response. "We'll have things going in here shortly, and I'll come out to help."

"No need, Corso, the boys are racing around and Michi is just waking up, Calleigh has her stuffed kath hound and Michi her bears. Everyone is fine, playing." She looked pointedly at Miriah, but Corso shrugged, not sure what had his wife's attention besides her cooking.

"Mir?" he asked, his voice conveying his concern.

"Hmm?" she replied, glancing up at him, her hair straggling in her eyes and her hands stopping. "What? I'm fine, just thinking about the poor man across the hall, who might be controlling or monitoring him. How close are they, and do they know we're here? Our children are here?" She sighed, "I know that we're guarded, we have people looking out for us, but it's still a worry. I feel like I should be doing more."

"More? Darlin', you haven't stopped moving all day. Maybe that's it, you need to rest for a bit." He moved to put his arms around her, taking the knife out of her hand. "Just relax, cyare, for a few minutes. I'm here, will always be here." He gently rubbed her back, feeling her arms go around his waist, anchoring her to him.

Miriah closed her eyes, feeling herself drift against the firm wall of her husband. She was tired, she realized, and didn't protest when he picked her up and moved to the sofa with her. Devin immediately moved to them, patting her arm when he could get close enough. She smiled at her son, who returned it with his own, then resumed his play. Corso sat, cuddling her, and whispered to her, "I love you, darlin'. I'll finish the dinner prep in a few minutes if you'll lie here and rest." She shook her head.

"No, I'll be fine in a few, and I know you've been busy with the decryption," she told him, kissing his neck. He shivered with the feel of her so close, her lips on his skin, knowing if he didn't move away soon he'd need a lot more time to be able to do so. She felt his response and grinned at him, kissing his nose as she got up, and sat beside him instead, giving him a sideways look as she laced her fingers with his. "We'll have so many here for dinner, I wanted to get it going soon. If you're taking a break from the computer, spend some time with your son." He nodded, and she rose just as the door chimed. She walked over to see Garza there, and welcomed her. The general hugged her as she entered, unusual, Miriah thought, but then these are unusual days.

"Just wanted to lend a hand. I know you all are more than capable, but I feel useless just sitting. " She crossed over to where Corso, who'd been joined by Aric and Maura, sat. "Anything new?"

"Still working on decrypting another document I found, but it's been redacted as well, and I'm not sure how much info we'll get when it is eventually decrypted. It's in progress, though," Corso told them, his eyes on his wife as she returned to the kitchen.

"Same for me, as far as things in progress," Aric said. "We're attempting to figure out the routes that the transmissions from the transponder station were sent to, but the software is good, and so far we're into the thousands of reroutes it took." He put his arm around Maura, "You're getting ready for tomorrow's dinner, right? Studying the dossiers?" He smiled as she nodded, seeing for the first time that day the vague worry she'd been trying to hide.

"You know, if we can't get anything more from Jurin, and we can't figure out where this is all going, we may never know who was behind all this," she said now, and Aric could see it was the main frustration she was having. He felt the frustration, too, and rubbed her shoulder. He looked at General Garza and saw that she was debating on whether to say something or not.

"What is it, General? What do you know that you're not saying?" he asked, suddenly on alert.

"There's some, well, unsubstantiated rumor going around. It has to do with a possible Hutt blockade on a relatively unknown sector, but there's some speculation that may or may not.."

"Just spill it, please," Aric stated, his voice steely. Maura put her hand on his thigh to keep him from rising, sensing the growl underneath his words.

"We may be facing a challenge from the Hutts over a world known only as Makeb. That's all I have on it, its name. There are some reports coming in of the Hutt Cartel forming trade blockades. The best route to Makeb is through Balmorra, and we think that may be why it was so important for the Imps to establish at least some outposts there. The vote to allow more Republic outposts was going to thwart that." She sat heavily. "I don't know what is true. If the Cartel is forming a blockade, or if by provoking the ongoing political unrest on Balmorra provided enough distraction to allow that to happen without us seeing it in time, I just don't know." She looked at the people before her, people she regarded as esteemed colleagues if not friends, and shook her head. "Regardless, the facts are that Balmorra is once again unsettled, we've lost more soldiers than we ever wanted to, and we have the Hutt Cartel trying to stand against both us and the Empire."

"And we have a very high-ranking Republic SIS agent who has no recollection of who forced him to give up information," Corso sighed. He got up then, going to the kitchen to help Miriah, where he saw that she'd heard it all by the expression on her face. He started preparing the ronto meat, seeing she was almost finished with the marinade, and together they worked. When it was done, they were washing up when he took her hands in his, his arms around her, both of their hands under the warm water. He took the soap and lathered her hands, massaging her small slender fingers in his. She leaned back against him, relishing his warmth and the care he always gave her, and when he turned the water off and her to face him, their kiss was long and passionate. "At least it all makes some sense now," he murmured to her, feeling her nod and pull him in for another kiss.

"We won't be going home soon, will we?" she whispered in his ear, her tongue tracing the outer edge. He pressed himself against her, then forced himself to stand back, knowing he was becoming too far gone to control himself much longer. He grimaced at her statement, but nodded. He knew they would do whatever was necessary to continue the mission and resolve the outcome to the best of their ability, but he also knew he was much more interested in keeping his wife happy and safe than he was in the actual mission itself. Sarai chose that moment to enter the kitchen, already knowing what was going on in there but needing to talk to them both.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I have something important to tell you. I can feel that Devin's force aura has grown, and kids, I think it's time to test him." She took in the pallor on her daughter's face, and the resignation on her son in law, and realized they'd already noticed their son's increasing force presence.

"We've been talking about it, Mom. It won't change anything about how we raise him, and love him, and teach him. We were going to test him, but this mission got in the way." Miriah started to pace then, not really wanting to know how force sensitive her little boy was at that moment.

"I would say nothing different, Mir, but he just moved some toys. And not with his hands." Both Corso and Miriah looked startled, and as one moved toward the play area. When they arrived there, they saw Colin and Devin lying on their stomachs, pushing a small convoy of speeders toward the blocks they'd set up as ramps.

"Devin?" Miriah said softly, seeing the joy in the little boy's eyes as he looked up at his mother, and caught him in her arms as he ran to her, his little arms circling her neck.

"Mama, play with toys. We play," he told her, his excited face showing only happiness.

"Yes, sweetie man, you are playing. Having fun?" she asked him, laughing at his enthusiastic response. "Dev, Mama is going to borrow your finger for a second, okay? It might sting a little, but I need to make sure you're growing alright." She almost choked on the lie, knowing it would only hurt for a second but that the result could forever change his future. She took him into their bedroom and pulled her sampling gear out of her med pack, preparing and taking the blood sample as effortlessly as she breathed. Her son never flinched, his chatter about playing and speeders and rontos continuing without interruption. Corso held him while she sampled, and when he was back playing with his cousins, he walked with her to the spaceport. She wanted to do the testing where she could control the information, not through official channels at the capitol planet.

They sat, waiting for the equipment to warm up, Corso finally voicing the inner fears they both had. "Okay, what if he's not off the chart but more than we thought? What then? Do we send him for training? Does Mags need to figure that out or is it based solely on a number? What age does he need specialized instruction?" He had started to pace during his questions, and missed hearing the chime that signaled the results, only realizing it was done when he heard the small cry his wife made.

"He's a seven," she said, sitting heavily. "On the one to ten scale, he's a seven. Mags was a ten. I was a five. Maura a four. He's a seven." She looked up, and the tears she'd been holding back were unleashed. Corso knelt at her feet, trying to soothe her and himself.

"What does it mean?" he asked her. She shook her head, not really sure.

"Let's go back, talk to Mom and Mags. They'll know more," she said, and he agreed. They made their way back to the apartment, clinging to each other the whole way. When they entered, all Sarai needed to do was look at them to know, and they called everyone to the workroom.

Miriah stood, shaking, and started to speak. "Mom saw Devin move toys today with the force, and I took a blood sample to test. He's a seven," she said, looking at her oldest sister and seeing the calm, pleased look there, saw Mags' slight nod. "What does that mean, for his future?"

"It means that he may or may not choose to be trained. I've known many Jedi who tested at only five who are now very strong in the force, and I've known those who tested at a nine who can barely command a light saber." She stood, rubbing her belly, her own son stretching there. "It will be up to him, Mir. No one will come in the night and take him from you, I can assure you that." At that, both Miriah and Corso relaxed somewhat. "And as far as helping him understand the force, you have me and Mom as guides. I will work with him as much as you all want, since I'm fairly sure Ian will be force sensitive as well." They looked at her in shock, but Felix had already suspected as much. "He can choose, Mir, much as you did and Maura did, what he will become. He will always be your son, no matter what." They sat, silent, contemplating, only breaking the spell when Devin himself entered the room, bringing his dad a speeder with a wheel missing.

"Daddy, fix dis?" he said, his voice hopeful, his deep brown eyes a perfect match to his father's. Corso grinned at him, fixed the toy, and went with him back to the other children to resume playing. Miriah still hadn't moved, when Mags took her arm and sat her down in the chair of Corso's workstation.

"Mir, it will be just fine. He's Devin, your firstborn. He's a wonderful little boy, smart and articulate, who happens to have a very special connection to the force. That's all. He's no different now than he was this morning, or will be in the morning. " She lowered her voice, looking into the silver eyes of her youngest sister. "The son you are now carrying, he may be force sensitive as well. It's too soon to tell." She watched as the shock of those words flowed over Miriah, saw her pulse quicken and her breathing alter. "He's perfect, by the way," she added, "and no, I'm the only one who's felt him." She left her sister there, trying to wrap her mind around the situation, and went to find Corso, bringing him to her side. She left him with a smile on her face, and he went to Miriah.


	24. Chapter 24

Miriah saw her sister walk away and return with her husband through a fog of emotions and a pounding heart. She found she could only move her eyes, her body refusing any input from her brain. She turned those silver eyes, bright with unshed tears, to Corso's own warm, dark ones and saw him flinch in concern. "I promise, love, he'll be safe and loved as much as we can possibly love him…" he paused at her slight nod, the only concession to conscious thought her body would cooperate with. "What's wrong, darlin'?" He moved to catch both her hands in his, his concern expanding when she remained silent. She opened her mouth to speak but couldn't, and only a squeak came out. He wrapped her in his arms, lifting her out of the chair and taking her to their room, murmuring words of love to her as he walked. He sat with her on the bed, propped up with the many pillows there, and with her mouth close to his ear she finally whispered the only words she could find in her cloudy mind.

"I'm pregnant, Cor," she said against his ear, and he stilled his hands that were rubbing her back.

"Cyare, did you say…you're.."

"Yes, sugar, another son, Mags saw him already," she said, her face finally unfrozen and her tears falling. He gathered her close to him, overwhelmed by the emotion.

"Ohhhh," he said, his low voice rumbling over her. "I'm so happy, my love. Please don't cry, this is a wonderous thing," he told her. She nodded.

"It is a good thing, a great thing," she told him, the gentle smile on her face belying the tears there. "It just seems it's an overwhelming day. Devin will love having a little brother, though." She laughed at Corso's very happy face. "Let's go tell him."

"Not yet, I need to make sure his mom is doing okay first," he said, kissing her gently but them both feeling the surge of emotion that enveloped them. After a few minutes, he raised his head to look into those eyes he loved so much. "I can make it now, at least until later. Just don't get too far from me, darlin', " he told her, taking her hand and helping her stand. "What will we name him?"

"I'm thinking Logan," she told him, "it was the name I thought of instantly when Mags told me." She looked to him for his response, and seeing his broad smile, gave him one of her own, and they moved to the living area of the large apartment. The group assembled there was added to by the presence of Elara Dorne and the rest of Kilo Squad, and Miriah saw that Garza had brought Jurin over from across the hall.

"What's going on, guys?" Maura had seen Mags speaking to Miriah, then her youngest sister's response, and had a feeling.

"Another child will be joining our group, our son Logan," Corso announced, his gleeful voice almost shouting he was so happy. The group cheered as one, startling the children and Mags caught Michi as she ran to her mother in tears. Devin made his way rapidly to his dad, being lifted up after Corso stopped Miriah from lifting him.

"No more of that, kitten, he's too heavy even if you weren't expecting," he told her, Devin leaning across his father to hug his mom.

Aric held Calleigh on his hip, her little arms around his neck, as he clapped his friend and brother in law on the back. "Nice job, you two. Always room for more babies around here," he grinned, leaning over to kiss Miriah's cheek. "Now, you'll have to slow down some, Mir." He smiled at the couple, and Calleigh hugged her aunt. Maura joined them and took her sister in her arms.

"Congrats," she told her in a soft voice. Miriah hugged her back, still a little choked up. "You're the best, Mir, Devin will be fine and now Logan will, too." Maura led her still-pale little sister to sit on the sofa, seeing her dazed expression and correctly figuring out that she was just on overload. "I'll get you something cold to drink, okay?" Miriah nodded at her, a grateful smile on her face, still having some brain fogginess. Corso saw that she was sitting and joined her, Devin having gone to play again.

"I need to finish dinner, " she said, but made no move to get up yet. Maura brought over a glass and handed it to her sister.

"Don't worry about dinner, Mir, Aric can grill the meat you already prepared, and the side dishes are almost done. Mom and I can finish it." Maura hugged Corso, and whispered to him, "She'll be okay, she's just stunned right now." She felt Corso nod his agreement and left the younger couple there, the group around them offering congratulations and hugs. Sarai joined Maura in the kitchen after she'd had a chance to hug her youngest.

"Isn't it great, Mom? I'm so happy for them!" Maura said, turning to hug her mother. Sarai smiled, she knew Maura would love another child herself but was happy with her twins.

"It is, Maura. What a crazy day, huh?" They finished the dinner without interruption, and the dads all fed the little ones before taking them for baths. Devin came running to his mother, who was sitting in the same spot as before, and crawled up on the sofa beside her, putting his head on her shoulder and a hand in her hair.

"Love mama," he told her, giving her a noisy kiss on the cheek, making her smile. "Mama okay?" he asked, the expression on his little face a mirror image of his father's.

"Mama is good," she told him, "and I love you, Devin." She started to stand with him, to take him to his bed, but Aric, Felix, and Corso all ran to take him, making her laugh. She still looks shell shocked, Corso thought, and so pale. He vowed to watch her closely and make sure she ate, hugging his son as he took him to bed. When he returned to Miriah's side, he saw a peace come over her, and glanced up to see Magdalane's aura fading.

Magdalane and Felix were setting up a second table to feed the group that now included their security detail as well as a few others. This, she thought, is the most fun I've had in quite a while. Her smile made her aura dance around her, and Felix caught her eye. He saw her relaxed face and her happy eyes, and grinned at his wife, moving closer to her.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" he asked her, seeing her stretch the taunt muscles of her lower back. "Come, sit here with Miriah," he told her, taking her hand and leading her to where her sister still sat. He hugged Miriah, then Mags, and went to help Aric with dinner. Corso was in the kitchen with Sarai, helping as well.

"Well, sister, here we are. Are you okay, Mir? You seem like you're having difficulty with this," Mags told her, noting the pallor and stillness not often associated with her youngest sister.

"I just feel like I can't grasp it all, like the events of the day are just floating around me and I'm on the outside looking in. Everything has changed, yet it seems like nothing has," Miriah said, her sigh escaping as she did. "I'm actually hungry, though, so that's a plus." Magdalane laughed.

"Welcome to my world, Mir. I'm always hungry these days," Mags told her. They giggled together, and Miriah felt a little warmth flood through her, relaxing her a bit.

"I want to eat with you all, and feel happy, and then I want to sleep until next week," she said, catching Corso's eyes on her again. He'd been keeping tabs on her as he went back and forth getting dinner together, his concern and longing evident. She glanced at Jurin and Garza. "We've dropped the ball on the research today," she said.

"No, it's been ongoing," Mags said. "I've been monitoring the terminals, there's just little to report. Jurin seems to be reforming some pathways, but others are just dormant or completely broken. He's grunting now, so he has verbal ability, but something is blocking him from being able to speak still. Our security detail has everything under control, and even Garza looks more relaxed than she has." They watched the group working, moving around each other, and both noticed the sense of purpose, of driving forward that seemed to unite them.

Maura called them all to dinner, and the group enjoyed the company and the food. Miriah paced herself, and ate well, the hot food further relaxing her. The fact that Corso kept touching her helped too, his warm hands comforting her as he stroked her arm or gently kneaded the tight muscles of her neck. He was normally an attentive spouse, but with the events of the day he was craving her, and Mags could feel it.

Sarai stood at the end of the meal, and she and Felix passed out champagne flutes to toast the new grandchild, giving both Miriah and Magdalane sparkling water instead, which made them all laugh. Miriah met Corso's eyes with her own, and she could see the intense love and longing there. She touched his face with her fingertips, smiling when his lips kissed her palm. She turned her attention to her mother when Sarai began to speak, Corso leaning in to kiss her temple.

"I love all of my children and grandchildren, and it pleases me that I'll have one more to love. Congratulations to Miriah and Corso, well done!" They clinked glasses and drank, smiles all around. Miriah saw Jurin's mouth moving, and moved closer to him. She heard him whisper, "good", but that's all he could get out. She turned to find Mags, who'd realized that Jurin had been trying to speak, and grinned at them both. Jurin patted Miriah's shoulder, a lopsided smiled on his face.

Finally, Corso pulled her up and sent her to get ready for bed, knowing she'd enjoy a long soak first. He left her after starting the tub for her, and went to find Mags, who was getting water before going to bed herself. "Mags, thank you, so much, not only for telling us about Logan but for being willing to work with Devin," he told her, hugging his sister in law. He felt her aura infuse him, and knew the love she had for her family.

"I will always be willing. I love Devin as much as I do Michi and Ian," she said, and knew it was true. Felix came out to see what was keeping her and had to tease Corso.

"Go hug on your own pregnant wife," he joked, poking Corso with his elbow, making them all chuckle. Corso went into the kitchen, grabbing some fruit and cheese, along with some crackers and bottled water, and took it all back to their room where Miriah was still soaking, the steam from the water fragrant with bath oils. She opened her eyes as he approached, and he dropped a kiss on her forehead.

"Got some things for you, in case you need a snack," he said. She smiled at him, the day catching up with her and her fatigue evident. He helped her stand, dried her and wrapped her in a towel, and hugged her to him. "Wanted to do this all afternoon, just hold you." He kissed her and walked her into their bedroom, sitting her on the side of the bed. "Talk to me, love. You've been so quiet and still since we found out about Dev." He looked closely at her, and realized she was still somewhat in shock.

She looked at her beloved, and knew he needed reassurance that she was okay. "It's just been a full day, with things that I never thought I'd face suddenly foremost in my thoughts. All I really want is to feel your arms around me, and to relax and let you pamper me," she told him, her grin enough to set him on fire for her. He'd decided, though, that as much as wanted to love her, she needed rest more, and he turned to get one of his shirts for her to sleep in, her favorite thing. When he handed it to her, she pulled him to her, not letting him go. When his lips met hers, she felt her whole body relax into him, knowing this was what she'd needed all day. He pulled away to look into her eyes, and saw that she'd finally let go of the vague fear and uneasiness she'd carried all day. He was still determined she'd rest though, and when he unwrapped the towel and pulled his shirt over her head, she only snuggled into him. He continued to kiss her, her face and hair, as he felt her molding herself to him. He whispered how much he loved her, and loved their babies, and felt her smile against him. He turned the lights off, hoping she'd fall asleep, and when he asked her if she was happy, and didn't get a response, he saw that she was indeed asleep, a peaceful look on her face. He grinned to himself. Dad, he thought, another son! Wish you were here to enjoy him, mom too. He fell asleep wrapped around his wife, and wasn't surprised at all when she woke him a few hours later, to celebrate the new life inside her.


	25. Chapter 25

Sarai woke early, much earlier than the others in the apartment, and used the quiet time to meditate, both on the events of the past couple of days as well as what the next steps might be. She recalled that Grandmaster Satele Shan had some experience with disorders of the mind, and thought she'd get in touch with her about the Castellan restraints and Jurin. When she'd pondered that issue for a while, she turned to her morning check of her family. Magdalane was much more rested these days, making her pregnancy easier and Felix less stressed. They were still sleeping, as were Aric and Maura, though Maura didn't seem settled. Must be the thought of the dinner tonight that has her a little anxious, she mused. She didn't have to reach out to know what was going on with Miriah, the waves of emotion were washing over her- not her usual sensual waves. These were pure love and devotion, and were coming in equal parts from Corso as well. The intensity of it brought happy tears to Sarai's eyes. Their new addition was already loved. She turned her attention to her youngest grandson, and saw that Devin was awake, playing with his newly discovered force ability, moving small objects around his room. His concentration is amazing in one so young, she thought. He'll be much like his grandfather, she thought with a smile. Ian, you would so love this.

Miriah woke and smiled into her husband's dark eyes. "Morning, sugar, "she whispered, just before his mouth was on hers. He pulled her closer and was content just to kiss her, running his hands up her back to cup her face, his hands gentle. She could feel his love flowing through her as he explored her body, not able to feel their second child yet but anticipating the sweet little belly he remembered from when she was carrying Devin. Logan, he thought, and kissed her again, loving her response.

"Devin is awake," she told him, "but I expect more pampering later." He grinned at her, thinking of ways to keep her happy, and rose to get his son. When Corso walked in the room, Devin was indeed awake and making his miniature pod racer levitate next to the bed. Startled at his dad's appearance, Devin dropped the toy and grinned at his father, who got him dressed and out to breakfast.

Corso went to Miriah and told her what he'd seen, a wide smile on his face. Miriah shook her head, amazed that her son was able to use force ability so young. The subject of her thoughts ran to her, his arms stretched up, wanting his mom. Before she could lift him, Corso scooped him up, giving his wife an admonishing look. "Don't do that, cyare. He's too heavy. If no one is around, sit and let him climb into your lap, but don't lift him." Devin hugged her, giving her kisses, then scampered off to play.

Maura appeared with the twins, yawning and shuffling to the kitchen. Miriah followed, concerned about her sister. "I'm ok, " Maura responded to Miriah's questioning look. "Just wish this whole mission was over. Other than seeing Diedre tonight, I really don't want to get all dressed up and socialize again." She poured caffa for herself and for Aric, who had joined them in the kitchen. He kissed her as he took the mug.

"You're doing so well with it, Maura. This should be the last one we have to go to, at this point there's not much we can learn with Jurin in the state he's in. His contact wouldn't be able to communicate if he's there anyway." He leaned on the counter. "Besides, I want to see you all dressed up again," he told her, making her blush and Miriah laugh. "How are you today, Spitfire?" he asked, looking at his petite sister in law. He noted that she was still thin, still a little pale, but the grin on her face reassured him.

"I'm feeling good, slept well, hungry for breakfast," she told him, moving to start cooking. He took her shoulders and spun her toward the table.

"Sit, relax. I can do this," he told her. "You too, honey. I've got it, and if I need help I'll call Corso." The women shrugged at each other, but sat as he'd asked. It wasn't long until the table was filled with food, everyone sitting to enjoy and eat. Corso noticed that while Miriah had said she was hungry, she was only picking at her food. He saw her get very still and leave the table suddenly, and he knew what had happened. He gave her a few minutes, then joined her in their room with a package of crackers and hot sweet tea. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, shaking, when he entered and sat beside her.

"Sorry, sugar," she said, glancing up at him to see his worried frown. "I was really hoping to not do this with Logan." She smiled weakly, then ran into the refresher again. He waited until she seemed spent, then helped her back to bed, propping her up and urging her to sip the tea. When her face had regained some of her normal color, he handed her a cracker and watched as she nibbled it cautiously. When a lone tear traced down her face, he gently wiped it with his thumb, and pulled her head to his shoulder, holding her against him.

"Stay here and rest, kitten. Sip the tea, gotta keep hydrated." He kissed her gently, and made sure she was comfortable before he left to check on their son. She watched him go, wishing he'd stayed with her but knowing he was needed out there. She was feeling a little better and was thinking about getting up when Sarai came in.

"My dear, how are you feeling now?" she asked, sitting beside her youngest daughter. "Can I get you anything?"

"I'm feeling better," she told her mom. They'd been estranged when she'd gone through this with Devin, she remembered. "It happened with Devin, too. I'd felt a little queasy all week but thought it was just being here and everything that's happened." She started to stand but the dizziness made her sit again. "I can't just sit here and be useless. Help me up, Mom."

"No, Mir. You need to take it easy, there's nothing going on in the apartment that needs you right now. Let this pass, then when you're stronger you can help out." She patted the clammy arm of her daughter and left her to rest, seeing her sink into the pillows with her eyes closed.

Magdalane came in after a bit, ostensibly to give some force energy to her baby sister but also to get a moment's peace from the cheerful chaos that reigned in the apartment. The noise followed her into the room, and Miriah opened her eyes to see Mag's smile. "What's going on out there?" she asked.

Mags laughed. "The Kilo squad members who aren't on duty at the moment are playing with the kids, and having a blast. Colonel Jurin is laughing with them. Garza's at her office, while Aric and Corso are still researching the restraints. Mom is on the holo with Grandmaster Shan, Maura is making lunch, and I am here to check on you. How are things now? Need more tea?" Mags crossed over to the bed to lie down beside her sister, her son visibly moving inside her, making Miriah smile.

"How did we get so blessed, to have so many babies," Miriah said, reaching out to touch her nephew as he kicked and played. "I had no idea, Mags. No idea at all that I was expecting Logan."

"You've been so busy, Mir, and you said you two were trying. With the amount of exposure, you can't have been too surprised," she chuckled, making Miriah laugh too. Maura followed the sound of their laughter and bounced on the end of the bed.

"Ugh, Maura," Miriah groaned. "No bouncing! I just got to sit up without nausea."

"Oh, sorry, baby sis. I was just excited to see you both resting. I made lunch, and the guys are feeding the kiddos now." Maura looked at both of them, happy that they were all together. "I think I'll wear the dark maroon gown tonight, what do you guys think?"

They enjoyed discussing their evening attire, settling on each outfit before being interrupted by children wanting a mama hug before naps. Devin latched onto Miriah's neck, snuggling, and fell asleep there, exhausted from his play. Corso took him to his bed, and returned to Miriah, their bed now sister-free. "Now, beautiful, what pampering would you like?" His wolfish grin had her giggling, and they didn't hear Sarai approach until she spoke.

"Kids, I have been speaking to Satele at the temple. She would very much like Jurin to be transported there," she told them, seeming uncomfortable. "I know it's not ideal, but I feel that we need to transport him ourselves, given that I'm sure he isn't safe on a public shuttle or really on a military one right now." She glanced up at her daughter. "Mir, can you fly him there?"

Corso looked at his wife, and knew what her answer would be. She couldn't refuse a mission of mercy, no matter what it cost her. He sighed and nodded when she lifted her silver eyes to his, the look in them telling him all he needed to know. He was going, he told himself, and he'd take on most of the flying so she could rest. He wasn't happy about it, but when he turned to Sarai, they presented a united front.

"Of course I will, Mom. When? Will first thing tomorrow be okay?" Miriah asked, knowing she was in no shape to fly right now. The look of relief on Sarai's face was immediate.

"Perfect, dear. I'll let Helena know. Thanks, hon. I know things feel unsettled, and I hate to ask it of you." She hugged her daughter then, and left them. Corso waited until Miriah was settled against him to speak.

"I'll be with you, we'll leave Dev here with his aunts and uncles. I'm assuming Sarai will go, and it might be a good idea to take Aric. Felix needs to stay with Mags, no question." He pulled her close. "Dancer is fueled and ready. Maybe you should stay here tonight, cyare. Get some rest before flying." He shifted to look at her face, seeing the disapproval before he realized what he'd said.

"Don't make me go through this again, Corso Riggs! I will not break, I am not delicate, and I do know my limits. I understood it to a certain degree with Devin, since he was our first, but not this time." She frowned up at him. "And don't you forget, I flew pregnant with him more than once." She jumped up, and immediately went down, as much from the sudden change as anything. She looked up at him from the floor, and managed a silly grin. "Ok, I didn't say I'd be graceful at it." He peered at her over the side of the bed, shaking with laughter.

"I love you, Miriah, never forget that," he told her, helping her up and pulling her into a hug, holding her there against him, cherishing their togetherness.

Maura was reading over her data pad, looking at the list of dinner attendees for the evening, when Aric found her. "Getting ready for the evening?" he asked, seeing her nod but not lift her eyes. "You'll be great, honey, and we'll all be right with you."

"I know," she replied, "but I want to do well, represent the group well. This dinner is with the Senate delegates, and they'll know if even one little detail is wrong or missed." She sighed, put the data pad down and motioned her husband closer to her. He eagerly sat beside her on the sofa, putting his arm around her. She put her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes, thinking she'd rest a few minutes there in Aric's warm embrace. He felt her fall asleep, and eased her down until she was stretched out beside him, and he was content.

At the dinner, Corso could barely keep his eyes off his wife, the deep purple of the gown she wore was perfect for her, he thought. They made it through the cocktail hour part without incident, and Miriah held up well until they sat to eat. He saw her pale, and with sheer willpower, force the nausea away. Sarai gave her a little force push, and that allowed her to at least eat a few bites. Her color had returned to normal after a few minutes, and while she ate little, she wasn't sick again. They'd proceeded much as the dinner two nights before had, and when it was over and the dancing began, Mirah was ready for home and bed.

Corso could see her fatigue, and after making their way through the crowd, steered her to the taxi stand instead of the ballroom. Maura watched as they left, knowing that Miriah had lasted as well as she could and that her little sister was going to be flying tomorrow. Aric put his arm around his wife's waist, whispering in her ear, "I'm still right here with you, hon, so is your mom. We've got this." She smiled at him as he led her into a dance, and knew that soon they'd be on their way back as well.

Sarai observed the crowd, using her force abilities to try and figure out who Jurin's contact might be, if they were even here. She felt all the usual emotions, the petty grievances, the jealousy and drama that went with any social function, but nothing that would lead her to believe there was a spy here. She'd been able to speak to Garza's daughter Diedre, and was glad to know she was well. Sarai observed her daughter and son in law as they danced, and was lost in thought when her mind alerted to the fact that there was no sign of Garza herself. She must have stayed with Jurin, Sarai mused. Well, that would have been prudent, but I wish she were here.

Aric felt Maura's relief when they started for the taxi stand, her heavy gown and dress shoes making her movement slower than ususal. She was carefully stepping over the edge of the mat there when he caught her arm in his, offering his support. She smiled up at him, grateful that he was always there, always steady. "You know, " he told her, "if you wanted to make a run at this, if you wanted to hold office, you'd do well, hon." She laughed and turned to him.

"There is nothing attractive to me about this life, sweetie. You would hate having to go to these things all the time, and honestly, I would too. I am happy with my life, Aric, just as it is. I love you." She put her head on his broad chest, and he hugged her to his side.

"I love you, Maura, more than I can even tell you," he replied, kissing the top of her head, ready to get them home. Sarai stood nearby, and could feel the solidity of their emotions. So lucky, she thought, that her daughters were happy.


	26. Chapter 26

Corso woke in the wee hours, his arms around his wife, snuggled into her back as he spooned against her. Today they would take Jurin to Tython, he thought. He knew it was a good move, and that Miriah would have no trouble piloting her beloved freighter, under normal circumstances. Given that she was battling the nausea of early pregnancy, he was anxious about this trip. As if thinking of her had woken her, she leaned back into his chest, pressing her hips into him. His thoughts were immediately diverted from the trip to her, his hands gliding smoothly from her waist to her already fuller breasts. Her hum of pleasure excited him more, and even though they had a long day ahead of them, they both enjoyed loving each other, finding a little more sleep before their chrono alarm woke them.

Aric was up early, leaving Maura to rest as he gathered his armor and weapons, wondering if the upcoming trip would be uneventful. He hesitated to leave the group but it made sense. He and Corso would go with Miriah to take Jurin to Tython, and the rest of their family would remain here. They would continue as normal, and since Jurin had been taken to the ship last night, hopefully they'd deceived whoever might be watching. He took his gear out to the main rooms, stopping in the kitchen to make some caffa. They were hoping to slip out of dock under the cover of darkness, and he glanced in the direction of Corso and Miriah's bedroom, wondering if they were up. He'd just poured his first cup when he saw Corso make his way to the kitchen.

"Hey man, I was just wondering if you were up and moving yet," he told his friend in a soft voice.

"Yeah, Mir's trying to move slowly, between the morning sickness and leaving Dev, she's not too energetic this morning." Corso moved to fill his own mug, and make some hot sweet tea for his wife, knowing it was one of the few things she'd be able to tolerate. "I hate leaving the kids, but it won't be for long, and I know they'll be safer and have more fun here together."

Aric nodded, he'd had his own reservation about leaving his twins, but agreed with Corso's assessment of the situation. He was just thinking about how lovely his Maura had looked the evening before when he saw Felix stumble out of their sleeping area, half awake. "Hey Felix, everything okay?" he asked, seeing the bleary eyes and unshaven face of his other brother in law.

"Mags was restless all night, having some practice contractions. She's resting now, but I wanted to see Corso and Miriah and you before you left." Felix poured his caffa and took a long sip. "Ahhh , now that's better. Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I'll be on full alert and that I've briefed Blessing on what's going on, and I had an idea." He sipped his caffa again, Corso and Aric watching him with amusement. He's still a soldier under those civilian clothes, Corso thought, and felt better about leaving his son with this man in charge of his safety. "Why don't you and Mir go to the ship, acting as if you're going on a pleasure trip, and Aric, you follow under Mir's stealth generator. That way, you don't have to worry about leaving so early, and with Jurin already on the ship, there'll be nothing out of the way for anyone to see or report on."

"That would also give Mir a little more time to get over the nausea before piloting the ship," Corso said, nodding his head. "Good idea, Felix." The men moved to the living area to sit, enjoying the quiet and their morning caffa. After a few minutes of companionable silence, Corso rose to get Miriah's tea, and took it to her in their bedroom. He found her brushing her hair, already dressed. He placed the cup on the dressing table, and she turned to him.

"Thank you, sugar, that looks perfect for this morning," she smiled up at him, her eyes clear and rested. She'd had her hair cut the day before, and he could barely keep his hands out of the tumbling waves. He bent to kiss her forehead, knowing he needed to stay in control or they'd spend the day in bed, and while that was a much better idea, in opinion, he knew they had to keep moving. He turned to sit at the end of their bed, and explained Felix's idea. She nodded slowly, carefully standing . "I can do that, and it seems like the perfect cover. Has anyone talked to C2 this morning about how Jurin is doing?"

"No, but I'd bet Aric has already thought of that and if he hasn't done it, he will," he laughed, seeing Miriah's grin.

Aric had, in fact, just got off the holo with the droid, and turned to them as they joined him in the living area. "Jurin did well during the night, is still sleeping, in fact. I'm ready whenever you guys are, and it might be easier if we leave before children start waking up." They all agreed, and Aric went to tell Maura goodbye, leaving the others to finish gathering their gear. He found her still sleeping, and instead of speaking, he crouched at the bed side and kissed her head. Her amber eyes slowly opened, and she saw he was ready to go.

"Please be careful, hon. We'll be fine here, and will talk when you reach Tython." She sat up and he gathered her in his hug, feeling her love there. "Love you, Aric. Keep Mir safe, okay?"

He nodded, swallowing past the sudden lump in his throat. "I will. Love you, sweetheart, so much." She watched as he reluctantly left her, knowing they wouldn't be gone long but hating the separation. She could feel his hesitation, and got up, dressing quickly, and was out of their room in only a couple of minutes.

"Just couldn't let you all go without hugs," she whispered to her sister, trying to stay positive. She felt Miriah squeeze her back.

"It's gonna be fine, Maura, just love on Dev for me until we get back, okay?" Both women sniffed back the sudden tears, just before Sarai joined their hug.

"We'll all be here for him, Miriah, as always. Here," Sarai pulled out a small datacron, "give this to Satele Shan. It has all the pertinent data and scans that have been done." Miriah tucked the small device in a jacket pocket, and turned to Corso.

"Let's go, before I change my mind," she told him, her face grim. She took off at her normal, brisk pace and had reached the elevator when Corso and Aric caught up to her.

"Hey, slow down there, Spitfire. I need the stealth generator, and you need to act like you love this big lug here," Aric said, pointing at Corso.

Miriah blew out a breath. "I know, I just hate saying goodbye and I especially hate leaving Devin." She looked back at the apartment door with longing, and Corso very nearly told her to forget the trip, but he knew they needed to get Jurin to treatment. Instead, he put his arm around his wife's shoulders and pulled her close, kissing her head. In turn, she put her arm around his waist and leaned on his shoulder.

"That's it, that's what we're used to seeing," grinned Aric, taking the offered stealth generator and clipping it to his belt. They descended together but when Corso and Miriah exited the elevator, Aric triggered the device, making him effectively invisible. The proceeded toward the spaceport, Corso and Miriah holding hands, laughing, stopping to kiss. By the time they'd made it to the Stardancer, Aric was about to burst with snarky comments. As the airlock closed and the ramp retracted, Aric deactivated his stealth device.

"Dear void, you two are either really good actors or are completely, totally into each other on a level I never even knew existed. You walked right by that senator, the one from Denova, and never even saw him! And he was surrounded by guards!" He was laughing as he said this, but Corso blushed.

"She's got me bewitched, all right," Corso admitted, but stopped the joking when he saw how pale Miriah had gone. "Here, sit, kitten." He led her over to the lounge area, and into a plush chair. C2 was by her side in a flash, with crackers and tea. She gave the droid a weak smile and nod of thanks, and nibbled on a cracker. After a few minutes, her color returned and she stood, turning toward the bridge, but Aric stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"Relax, Mir, Corso's got things going. I just checked on Jurin, he's still sleeping." She nodded, sitting back down. They felt the freighter shimmy slightly as the mag locks disengaged, and Corso easily slipped them from their docking port and out into Coruscanti space. He got the large ship to the hyperlane and went back to get Aric and Mirah secured, as well as wake up their other passenger. He walked past the lounge and into the crew area, where the lightest touch on Jurin's shoulder woke him. The older man blinked at the Mantellian but smiled, reaching out to touch Corso's dreadlocked hair. Corso clicked the sleeping restraint around Jurin, and he relaxed into the bunk once more.

On the way back to the bridge, Corso stopped and knelt in front of Miriah. "Cyare, try to take deep breaths, I'll get us on course then come back and check on you." He smiled at her nod, and went forward to the bridge. As far as piloting the ship, Corso was fine with undocking and following the air traffic controller's voice to the hyperlane, but once they exited hyperspace, he was lost. He needed Miriah to be rested and alert, and hopefully not sick.

Miriah's ears knew the moment he'd entered the hyperlane, and she sighed when she felt the hyperdrive engage. She already missed her son, and was thinking of him when Corso joined her in the lounge area.

"All set, now all we have to do is wait." He pulled his wife into his body as he sat beside her, and Aric brought Corso a mug of caffa.

"I just looked in on Jurin. Is all the sleeping part of his recovery?" he asked.

"Sarai said that was likely, but we really have no idea, since we have no previous experience with this stuff," Miriah responded, fiddling with her cup. "I may sleep some, too, in a bit." She gave them a small smile. Her hands itched to bake, but she just didn't have the energy to follow through. She vaguely heard the men chatting, and the third time she nodded off, slipping lower in her seat, Corso gently pushed her to lie down, her head on his thigh. He lovingly stroked her cheek as she drifted into sleep.

"The baby is really sapping her, huh?" Aric asked, seeing the tiny woman's face relax as she slept.

"She does too much, always has, but pregnancy has a way of forcing rest," Corso admitted. He was still so excited about another son, he couldn't help but grin, and wonder what his older son was doing this morning.

Sarai sat with the children while Maura and Mags gathered breakfast. "Sorry we don't have the same selection we would if Miriah was here," Maura said to the gathered group. "But she did bake more cinnamon rolls before she left." They set out all the food, and Sarai led the group of children to their table. Devin had asked for his mama only once, seeming to realize she was working on something he couldn't be a part of, and instead stayed close to his Nana. Mags had risen with Michi, and now was pacing, rubbing her very pregnant tummy. Sarai was aware she was uncomfortable, and urged her to rest.

"I can't, Mom," she replied. "I feel …something. Something I can't identify, in the force." She finally sat on the sofa, and when Devin pulled himself up to sit beside her, she smiled at him. "How are you today, Devin?" she asked him.

"Mama work," he told her. "Fly. Daddy with." Mags nodded at his sage assessment of the situation, and Sarai grinned at them both. "Ian?" he questioned, pointing at Mags midsection, which was smooth now that Ian was sleeping.

"Yes, that's Ian," Mags told the little boy. "Your mama has your little brother growing in her, too, but you can't see him yet." Devin looked confused, but soon forgot what his aunt had said and scrambled down to play with the other children. "He's so perceptive, to be so young. Miriah has done an exceptional job of encouraging his independent thought." Sarai agreed, and saw when Magdalane had to stand and walk again, sensing more than she was saying.

"Dear, you realize you're in labor, right? Probably have been since last night." Sarai's words brought alarmed exclamations from both Felix and Maura, who rushed to Mags.

"I'd figured as much, but the contractions aren't regular yet, and this phase took several days with Michi," Mags said calmly. Felix couldn't help but hover, pacing with his wife. Maura started toward the holo, intending to let Miriah know, but Felix stopped her.

"They're in hyperspace by now, it won't go through," he said, and Maura realized he was right. There was nothing they could do, but wait.

Miriah woke from her nap, a little startled that she'd slept, and evidently soundly enough that Corso had moved her to their bed and she hadn't woken. She could hear him and Aric in the lounge, the holonet going with some sporting event, and smiled to herself. Logan, you are already so loved, just wait until you join these guys one day, she thought. She got up slowly, felt okay, and made her way into the galley to cook. She saw that Jurin had joined the guys around the holo, and seemed to be entertained. She was ready to plate their meals when Corso joined her, wrapping her in a hug.

"Did you rest well, kitten? You look beautiful," he told her, rocking slightly with her.

"I did, and now I'm hungry. Go tell the others food is ready," she grinned at him. Not wanting to risk that she'd be nauseous soon, he gathered the others to the galley bar to eat. He watched as she ate a good portion of the bantha sandwich and bowl of cheese soup she'd served, and was pleased to see her color remain normal. They rinsed their dishes and all returned to the holo.

Meanwhile, Mags was getting increasingly uncomfortable, but the contractions hadn't settled into a pattern yet. Felix took turns being with Michi and walking with his wife. Mid afternoon, he finally convinced her to take a hot shower and try to relax, knowing she'd need to be rested as much as she could for the actual labor. He got her to their bed, lying on her side, and slid behind her to massage her back. He could feel the muscles bunching and releasing, but there didn't appear to be a pattern to it, and she finally slept.

Felix went to tell the others what was going on. Maura had the twins napping, Devin was asleep on the sofa with Sarai, and the apartment was quiet. Enjoy the quiet now, he thought, this might be a long night.


	27. Chapter 27

The Stardancer hummed along the hyperlane, its occupants sleeping. All of its systems were working correctly, and there were no problems to report. Save one. The small leak in her hyperdrive oil went undetected, as did the device attached to the underside of the nacelle. Her owner slept on, unknowing.

Mags woke with a grunt. The room was dark, and she instinctively knew it was deep into the night. Okay, she thought, these contractions are now organized, even if they are spaced out. She slowly sat up, trying not to wake Felix. If only the force weren't so hard to use while in labor, she mused. She slowly and quietly made her way into the apartment's living room, debating on whether she should call Elara or wait.

Sarai had felt the force change and went to her oldest daughter, ready to help her. She knew Mags would need force help for this, and hoped that between herself and what limited force Maura could call up, it would be enough. Ian would be early, but not dangerously so, only a few weeks. She could see that labor had progressed, but slowly. Mags gave her a grim smile and reached for her offered hand.

"Mom, sorry to wake you," Mags said, squeezing the petite hand in hers. "The pain is manageable, if you want to go back to sleep."

"Nonsense, dear," Sarai told her, "I'll make us some tea, and we can walk if you like." She made her way into the spacious kitchen, suddenly missing her youngest daughter. Miriah's presence tended to lend a positive note to things, she realized. She was putting water on to heat when Felix pushed into the kitchen, looking worse for wear, and straight over to the caffa machine.

"Felix, dear, go rest. She'll need you more later, and it might be a very long day ahead." She watched as he turned one half opened eye to her, the other remaining closed against the lights.

"No, no. I need to be here for her. I knew we'd probably be up in the middle of the night, I'm okay." He leaned over the counter, waiting for the brew to be discharged from the machine, his mug grasped tightly in his hand. They both turned as Mags made her way into the kitchen, the light of her aura surrounding her.

"Felix, honey, you didn't have to get up yet," she told him, touching his tired face.

"I wanted to, love. I told you I'd be with you through everything." He smiled as she tiptoed to kiss his cheek, and pulled her into a hug. They stood there, drawing on each other's strength, preparing for the coming hours and the birth of their son.

Aric was trying to sleep, which he was finding difficult. It had been quite a while since he hadn't had Maura by his side, and he was finding it difficult to drift off without her. In less than an hour, the Stardancer would drop out of hyperspace and Miriah would be at the bridge. I'll just rest here, until the others are awake. Even if I don't sleep, I'll rest, he thought.

Miriah had been sleeping for over nine hours when she woke and glanced at the chrono. We'll be out of hyperspace soon, she thought, and I do feel pretty good. She snuggled into Corso's warmth, his arms pulling her close though he didn't wake. She vaguely wondered how the other passengers were doing, just before she drifted back into slumber. She and Corso both jumped when the alarm sounded, and it took Miriah a few seconds to realize that the sound wasn't their chrono, but a systems alert. She bounded up and pushed the nausea away, moving at a run to the bridge, Corso only a few seconds behind her. She met Aric in the hallway and surged past him to the console.

"Uhoh, we're losing hyperdrive oil, at a steady rate. Not something I can fix until we land, but I have to take her out of hyperspace now!" She pushed all the right buttons, but nothing happened. In fact, it felt like the ship moved faster.

"What will happen, Mir? If you can't get us out of hyperspace?" Corso asked, a worried frown on his face.

She turned her wide silver eyes to the man she loved. "We'll explode. Sooner than later. Let's…" The first explosion rocked the vessel, and threw them around the bridge. Miriah gained her feet and took off at a run, yelling instructions to the men. "Get to the escape pods, I'll get Jurin."

"NO!" Corso yelled, "Get yourself off, Mir, I'll get Jurin. We only have the two pods, so Aric you go with Mir. Go! Now!"

Another explosion rocked them, and Miriah fell against Aric. He just lifted her and ran to the pod, seeing Corso herding Jurin to the other one. As he pulled his tiny sister in law in with him, and sealed the door, he felt the ship tremble ominously. He punched the launch button, shielding Miriah with his body.

Corso pulled the colonel to the pod, but when he tried to pull the man in with him, he refused. "Come on, Jurin, we'll die here," he yelled. Jurin looked at the man who had tried to save him, and gave him a small wave as he hit the switch on the wall to seal the pod and eject it from the dying ship. Corso looked on in horror as the Stardancer shattered, Jurin still aboard. The force of the blast sent debris raining on the pod, and Corso had no idea where he might land, just that he was not only spinning in space. Miriah was out here somewhere too, and that scared him more than anything.

Magdalane felt the tremor in the force, and turned worried eyes to her husband, who was walking around the balcony with her. "We need to try and contact the ship, something has happened," she told him. He never doubted her power in the force, and turned them into the apartment to the holo. After several tries, he turned to the assembled group, which had seen them rush inside.

"Nothing, but it could just be that they're still in hyperspace. We'll try back in an hour," he told them, trying to remain calm. Maura paled on the outer edge of the group, and turned to the twins.

"Go play, sweeties. We'll try to get Daddy on the com in a little bit. I promise when we get him, you'll get to talk to him, okay?" They nodded, satisfied with the explanation, and ran off to the play area they'd set up. Maura marched up to Felix and pulled him aside. "You know as well as I do that something has happened. They should have exited hyperspace half an hour ago, and Miriah is nothing if not precise. Call Tython Orbital, see if they can detect anything or raise them on subspace." Felix nodded and placed the call, then returned to the group with news.

"They haven't seen the Stardancer, in fact, nothing has exited hyperspace in the last twelve hours," he told them. "They aren't picking up subspace coms either, but if they're further away than about fifteen parsecs, that's not unusual. They'll keep looking, and let us know." He looked down as he shifted his feet. He felt odd about it all too, but there was nothing to be done. He looked up at Maura just as he heard Magdalane let out a low moan, and hurried to his wife's side.

"Call Elara," Mags said through clenched teeth. Sarai held her other hand and added to the force aura, which eased the pain of the hard contraction somewhat. Breathing over the wave of pain, she saw Felix nod and return to the holo, where Maura still stood.

"Don't tell Mags what's going on, she has enough to get through right now," Maura told him, and he nodded agreement. He placed the call to Elara, and before he could return to his wife, he heard her moan again. Damn, he thought, that was about seven minutes apart, and he sprinted the last few feet to where he wife was struggling to rise from the soft couch.

"I feel better moving, at least for now," she told him, the pleading look in her eyes nearly undoing him. He put his arm around her and with Sarai on the other side, they walked around the perimeter of the living area. Blessing and his troops shifted uneasily, prepared for battle but not childbirth. Elara burst through the door, and went straight to the Jedi, walking unsteadily around the room. Scanner in hand, Elara related the details to the parents to be.

"Six centimeters dilated, Mags. Good job. You're able to stay ahead of the pain or do you want meds?"

"No meds, Elara, thanks. I may change my mind later, but for now Mom and I can stay on top." Mags stopped as a contraction gripped her, and bent forward. Her knees buckled and Felix caught her, swinging her up in his arms and heading toward their bedroom with her, Sarai following with Elara. They made her as comfortable as they could and Maura brought ice shavings to her sister.

"Maura, have you heard from Miriah yet?" Mags asked, and Maura turned away before answering.

"Not yet. We think there might have been something break on the ship, but we're in touch with the Tython Orbital guys, they'll let us know when they get something." I hate this, Maura thought, and I need Aric back here, now!

Aric cradled Miriah's head against him, glad she couldn't see her precious ship turned into a debris cloud. He could feel her breathing, knew she was probably okay, and wondered where the hell they'd land. He could feel the heat of atmosphere burning against the pod's outer shell, but couldn't see anything yet from the small window. He did see Corso's pod once, as the autopilot turned them for entry into the nearest habitable planet's space, but had no idea that Jurin wasn't aboard. He thought of Maura and the twins, and wanted nothing more than to be with them again.

Corso wept with the thought of Jurin staying behind, his wife not with him, and her beloved ship destroyed. When he'd last saw her, Aric was lifting her unconscious form into the pod, and he wished with all he had that he'd been with her. He needed to touch her, see that she was okay. He'd seen their pod, so he knew they'd escaped the ship, but had no way of contacting them. He settled against the seat, waiting the interminable minutes until the pod would land, trying to send his love to Miriah and their sons.

Magdalane was in a state of perpetual pain, and Elara told her she was at eight centimeters. Sarai and Maura were doing all they could to help, but they were barely able to keep her from screaming out. Felix saw the panic in her eyes and knew they would be using stims soon. None of them saw Devin come into the room, but when he touched his aunt, she immediately relaxed, suddenly the pain was manageable. She looked around, not seeing the small hand on her shoulder. "What did you guys do? It's so much better now!" She looked with relief at her mother, who shook her head.

"I have no idea, dear. I felt the surge as well, but it didn't come from me," Sarai told her, puzzled. The contractions were about three minutes apart at this point, and there wasn't time to figure it out now. Devin put his head on his aunt's shoulder, and Mags could feel the full extent of his force power enter her aura, and her eyes widened.

"It's Devin," she breathed. "His force power is adding to ours, it's amazing, incredible!" As she continued to labor toward Ian's birth, Devin rested on her shoulder, his eyes closed but his force flowing through her, pure white light that bathed them all in its calm, giving Mags the boost she needed. When she began to push, Devin shifted to put his little hands on her head, and she felt him relax to give her all he had.

"He's coming, Mags," Elara encouraged her. "I can see his head. One more push, that's it!" Ian's cries filled the room as Mags laughed in relief, Felix kissing her head and stroking Devin's as he lay on his aunt in an exhausted sleep.

"He's perfect," Mags said, and handed their son to Felix to take Devin in her tired and shaking arms. He opened his eyes for only a second before snuggling into his aunt. "And this one, the force link will forever be with us, Dev," she told him in a quiet voice, knowing her nephew was beyond hearing. "Mom, take Devin to rest, he needs to recharge." Sarai took the little boy in her arms, and carried him to her room, placing him on her bed. His eyes opened again, and she heard his hoarse whisper.

"Need Mama," he said, his eyes pleading.

"I know, little man, Mama will be home soon. I promise," Sarai told him, realizing as he said it that something had gone very wrong.

Aric heard the warning klaxon and again shielded Miriah for impact. She was still out, but he'd seen her eyes moving beneath her lids, so hopefully she was close to being back with them. He could see Corso's pod and figured they'd land about a kilometer from each other. What planet they'd be on, he couldn't say. At least he was in his cortosis gear, Corso and Miriah were still in sleeping clothes. There should be some gear in the pod. As meticulous as Miriah was about her ship, he had no doubt that the pods would be fully stocked. On that note, he had figured out that whatever had happened to the Stardancer was deliberate. The beeping of the klaxon sped up, and the mechanical voice noted ten seconds to impact. He pulled Miriah close, and sent a prayer to the force for safe landing. The pod dived nose first into the ground, and Aric felt the silence descend on them as he unbuckled the harness he'd wrapped around them both. He saw the blood oozing from Miriah's nose and figured it had happened on impact. He stood slowly, and reached up to unlatch the hatch.

As Ian was taking his first meal among the loving touches of his parents and family, Corso was trying to pull himself out of the pod's wreckage. He could see the plume of dust that Aric's pod had kicked up, and stumbled out of his own toward it. Please, please let Miriah be okay, he said to himself.


	28. Chapter 28

Miriah could feel sun on her still closed eyes, and felt wetness on her face. She'd been dreaming, that she was on her ship and something terrible had happened. She startled awake at that, and saw Aric pushing the hatch of the escape pod open to blue skies. It wasn't a dream, she thought, and where is Corso? She struggled to sit, every muscle hurting, and her movement caught Aric's attention.

"Easy there, Spitfire. You've got some bleeding from your nose. I was trying to protect you from impact but think maybe I squeezed you too hard." He hauled himself out of the pod and looked back through the opening at her. "You with me, Miriah?"

"Yeah," she said, hearing the shock in her own voice. "The pods are fully stocked, gear in the top cargo, supplies in both sides." She reached above her and pulled a gear bag down. "I'll dress and be out there in a sec. Did you see where Corso and Jurin landed?" She was pulling out a set of leather armor, digging for a blaster, when he answered.

"I did, they're about a klik away, to the east." He reached in, back turned in case she was exposed, and pulled a large supply bag out of the cargo area, pulling out a set of macrobinoculars. "I can see the dust plume still, but not the pod. Too many trees."

"There should be flares and subspace beacons in the pack, as well as rations and water."

"Yes, I found it," he told her, handing her a bottle of water. "You need to stay hydrated. I'm guessing Logan is okay?" She heard the worry in his voice and quickly reassured him.

"Everything is fine, Aric, at least physically." Her tone was subdued, almost listless.

"We'll set up camp here, wait on Corso and Jurin to join us. I don't want you stressed," Aric said, turning to see her climb out of the pod and putting both hands on her waist to help her descent. "The subspace beacon is already on, and from what I can tell from the pod's nav system, we landed on one of the moons of Tython. Beautiful place, do you know anything about it?"

She watched her brother in law, but the shock was still so great she was having trouble clearing the mental fog that enveloped her. "As I remember it, Tython has seven that are habitable. I have no idea which one this is," she told him, slowly looking around her, the bottle of water forgotten in her hands. Aric noticed and pointed to it.

"Drink, Miriah," he told her, then crossed the small, flat place they'd landed to hug her hard against him. "He's gonna be fine, Logan is okay. We're okay." He placed a chaste kiss on her head. "So sorry about your ship, hon."

"It was just a thing." Her voice still had that hollow, uncertain sound. "I know in my heart that Corso is okay, it's Devin I'm most worried about. How much can he tell in the force? He'll be distraught if he can feel this." She moved to sit on one of the tree trunks they'd taken down under the force of the pod's impact, inspecting the beacon of red light that would guide Corso to her, and finally drank the water.

Aric looked relieved to see her sitting and resting. Maura, he thought, please know I'll be home soon. He watched his wife's youngest sister as she tried to make sense of their situation, and spoke softly. "Devin is safe, and being loved by everyone around him. I'm sure that by now they're wondering why we haven't holoed them and are trying to find out what's going on. We'll be home soon, Mir." He stood and looked toward Corso's pod with the binoculars again, seeing movement. "I see someone heading this way." She smiled slightly at that.

Corso had pulled as much gear and supplies as he could reasonably tote and started toward the beacon. At least they're okay, he told himself as he trudged along. It would take him longer to reach them fully loaded down like this, but they'd have the combined resources of the pods to last them until they could be picked up. He had covered about a quarter of the distance to them when he realized there was someone, or someones, between himself and the other pod, and stopped. He pulled out the binoculars from the supply pack and tried to see who else might have been alerted to their crash, but the trees were so thick he couldn't see anything, only hear footsteps. He stared forward again, but cautiously. He knew the others would be armed, and at least this way they'd have whoever or whatever was steadily making its way to the beacon between them. He stopped long enough to put his rifle where he could easily get to it around the packs, and started forward again.

Halfway there, he had to stop and rest. He'd noticed some pain when he first landed, and now, breathing heavily, he felt it again. Maybe a busted rib, he thought, and shifted the packs to put more pressure on the other side of his body. He drank some water, took deep breaths of the cool, clean air, and felt grateful for the shade of the tall trees even as he cursed their foliage from keeping him from seeing . When he felt somewhat normal again, he glanced at his wrist chrono and realized he'd given the others out there a twenty minute lead on him, and hauled the heavy packs onto his back again, setting off toward the beacon and Miriah.

Aric ran the scanner over Miriah, and grinned when he clicked it off. "Baby is doing fine, your nose is broken, again, and that kolto pack should fix you right up." He stood from where he'd been crouched beside her and helped her stand from where he'd had her lie down for the scan. "How are you feeling, Mir?"

"Anxious, tired, slightly nauseous," she responded, her pallor unchanged from earlier. "Why did this happen, Aric? Because we had Jurin? Trying to get him some help, would we have figured out what had happened and who did this to him? Maybe reversed the damage the Castellan restraints had caused?" She stared to pace but rapidly turned the peculiar shade of green he'd seen on her face lately, and sank down on the tree trunk, reaching for the crackers she'd unearthed from the depths of the ration pack earlier.

"I just don't know, Mir. Possibly all of those reasons. If we'd been able to get the damage reversed, he'd have been able to tell us all about his handlers. That seems the most likely scenario." He sat beside her on the tree. "We may be delayed in getting those answers now, but we will get them," he assured the tiny woman, whose green face was slowly turning back to normal.

Magdalane held her newborn, the bottle almost empty, when her daughter joined them on the bed. "Michi, this is Ian, your little brother," she told the little girl. Michi slowly reached out and patted the baby's leg, smiling. Felix came into the room, picked up his daughter and sat with her, admiring Ian.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" he asked Mags, seeing her moving rather well after the ordeal of childbirth. "You were able to get a nap?"

"I did, and it was wonderful. I'm feeling good, thanks to Devin. How is he?"

"He's still sleeping. Who would have thought that he'd save the day?" Felix was still unsure about how the little boy's force sense would be so potent.

"Often, the very young are the most powerful," Mags explained, swinging her legs over the bed to put Ian in his cradle. "They act as a conduit of the force, there's no preconception of what they can or can't do, no restraints put there by themselves or others. They are simply open, wonderfully free, in the force. I could feel that he had no idea why this was happening, but he'd felt compelled to come to me. He was the vessel, but I sense a great and strong connection in him, that many would be envious of should he decide to train." She smiled down at her son. "He and Ian, they will both be very powerful, should they choose to be." She glanced over at Michi, and held her arms out to her. "My sweet girl. Need a snack, Michi?" She laughed at the vigorous nod Michi gave her and started to carry her to the kitchen, but was stopped by Felix.

"No, love. I'll carry her," he said, bending to give his wife a kiss. He'd never seen anything like what he'd witnessed here today. Michi's birth had been quiet, with Satele Shan there along with Nadia Grell, there had been more than enough force power present. Also, since Ian weighed in at almost eight pounds, Michi had been considerably easier, at a little under six. He strolled into the living area, where the twins were having cookies with Sarai, and Michi almost leapt from his arms to join them, making him smile. He turned and took Mag's arm, helping her sit on the sofa. She wasn't in pain, but he could tell she was depleted, tired, and shaky. "I'll get you a snack, too, sweetheart." When she gave him a grateful smile, he couldn't help but kiss her again.

"Okay, that's how we got to this place to begin with," Maura joked. She sat beside her sister, noting her fatigue but otherwise saw she was doing well. "So, Devin. Who knew he'd be the key?" Maura mused. "Poor little guy was so confused at first, he'd walked to the hallway and back about ten times before he went to you."

"He was simply perfect," Mags replied. "We still haven't heard anything, have we?"

"No," Maura sighed. "Grandmaster Shan felt the jolt in the force, so they must have been near Tython when whatever happened, happened. The orbital station is doing subspace searches now. If they had to eject from the ship, they would have put up the beacons. I don't even want to think about that." She stood to pace, her worry evident on her face. Suddenly she turned to Sarai.

"Mom, can you see if you can feel Miriah? Like you did when she'd been kidnapped?" Hope shown on Maura's face, at the thought of maybe seeing if they were alive, and where they might be.

Sarai smiled and nodded, and since she was already kneeling, went into a trance, her aura shimmering. She felt her youngest daughter, her anxiety and shock, immediately.

Miriah felt the familiar sliver of cool light enter her mind, and figured her mother was trying to communicate. She looked around her, at Aric, at the pod, and knew her mom would relay the info to the others. She relaxed and tried to tell her mom that Corso was in the other pod, but wasn't sure if the message went through.

Sarai stood, babbling. "They're okay! She's alive, they all are. I could see the pod they'd ejected in, Aric was with her, and if I'm not mistaken, she was trying to tell me that Corso and Jurin were in the other pod." Blessing and Elara had run over to them when they heard Sarai's excited voice, and Blessing spoke.

"Any idea where they may be?" he asked, holding Elara's hand in his. Garza needs to know all this, but she's not answering comms today, he thought. I may need to go to HQ after this and find her.

"No, only the planet they landed on is forested, the atmosphere compatible, and that they're alive, " she beamed. "Alive. That's what counts right now. I'm guessing one of Tython's moons, and I'm going now to let Satele know where to look." The older woman made her way to the holo, while the rest of the group let out a collective sigh of relief.

Corso made his way to the beacon, his breathing labored. He should have known he wouldn't escape the harsh descent and impact without some trauma, he thought. Should have at least scanned myself. Just wanted to be by Miriah's side so badly it didn't matter. He shook the spots out of his vision and trudged on, the knowledge that every step took him closer to her was enough to keep him going.

Aric could see the movement through the brush, getting closer. He turned to say something to Miriah about it, only to see her sleeping, her head on her outstretched arms. Not even an ejection pod escape could surmount the physical demands of pregnancy, he thought. Just as he turned back to the brush, he saw the blue-white blade of a lightsaber precede the small woman who burst through the trees. A Miralukan, he noted, then saw the fierce expression on her face. Her partner, a tall human built like a large tree himself, his saber also drawn, stepped out behind her.

"Who are you, and what is your business here?" the woman demanded.

"We were on our way to Tython, taking someone to be healed there," Aric told her, seeing Miriah wake beside him. "We had ship trouble, ended up having to eject. We landed here, not long ago."

"Yes we saw. Both pods, in fact. How do we know you're not here as spies?" she spit out, the man behind her looking around.

"Joslin, look, they had no intention of coming here in the first place. Here is their ship's registry, on the pod." The man walked around the wreckage, seeing the damage and the traces of debris that had hit the small vessel on its way out of danger. "Your ship exploded?" he asked Aric.

Aric nodded, watching the pair and moving slowly to help Miriah stand, feeling her tremble. The looked on as the tall man moved around the pod, and rejoined the woman.

"Joslin, stand down," he said quietly, his force aura flaring then. "He is truthful, and she is with child. There's no other reason for them to be here other than what he stated."

Joslin looked at Miriah, her stare penetrating. "So she is. She looks like someone I knew, long ago."

"Joslin? Joslin Avan'je?" Mirah said, wonder in her voice. "It is you! I thought I recognized you!"

"Miriah? Oh my stars, I haven't seen you in forty forevers," Joslin said, rushing to Miriah, hugging her close. "How in the force did you get into this much trouble?" she laughed.

Corso burst through the underbrush just then, his rifle trained on the woman. "Let go of her and step back!" he demanded, just before he lost consciousness and fell to the ground, his lung finally collapsing.


	29. Chapter 29

As one, Miriah and Joslin ran to Corso, who landed face first and hadn't moved. The weight of the packs was pressing him into the ground and Aric and the man with Joslin, whose name was Shurxan, lifted them off and threw them out of the way. Miriah was searching her pockets and gear bag for kolto, but Joslin stopped her.

"I haven't healed in some time, but I can handle this, " Joslin said, her voice soft and her aura flaring. After a few seconds, Corso opened his eyes and immediately looked for Miriah.

"I'm here, sugar, right here. This is Joslin, someone I knew years ago when we were kids on Tython." Her gentle hands caressed his face, and he let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank the stars you're okay, Mir. Logan?"

"He's fine, just fine. Aric already scanned me." He smiled at her then, his world more right than it had been for a few hours now. It was only then that he remembered, and his face reflected his distress.

"Aric, Miriah, I tried to get Jurin in the pod, but he wouldn't go. I.. he… I was in the pod and he balked, and before I could get him in, he pressed the launch button." Corso sighed, shook his head, and looked at Aric. "He was on the ship when it blew."

Aric sat down on the tree trunk, deep in thought. If Jurin knew, somehow, that the sabotage on the ship was due to him being aboard, he might have thought it was safer to die there rather than put us in any more danger.

Shurxan looked up at the waning sun, and told them they should get moving. He wanted to reach their small village before nightfall, and he was worried for these people who had survived so much in one day. He grabbed one of the large supply packs and easily slung it on his back, starting off down the slight rise to the valley below. Aric and Corso followed, not allowing Miriah to carry anything. As they trudged forward, Corso grabbed Miriah's hand.

"Darlin', are you sure you're okay? All I could think about was getting to you, seeing with my own eyes that you were alive and well." He kissed the hand he was holding, and she grinned at him.

"Mom already tried to contact me, and so they all know we're here. I'm okay, sugar. Worried about Devin, mostly, now that you're with me." They walked along in silence for a few minutes.

"Sorry about the ship," Corso said. "I know you'd been with her a long time. I hate that we lost her over nothing—we can't even learn anything about all this now. From Jurin, at least. I think we should let it all go, just let this one mission go." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, wondering if saying anything about the Stardancer would upset her.

Miriah squeezed his hand. "I did love her, but it was just a ship. I'm just glad we got out, and even if we lost the ship for no good reason, maybe now it's over." She walked on, stumbling a bit in the fading evening light. Corso caught her and held her against him, knowing she must be tired and hungry. He looked at the two Jedi who were leading them and wondered aloud if they could afford to stop for a few minutes. At his request, they did, and he pulled Miriah to sit on the gear bag, reaching into another supply bag for water.

"Here, drink this," he told her, as he continued to rummage in the pack. "Ah! Here it is!" he exclaimed, and handed her the chocolate bar with a flourish. "Something I know you love."

She grinned at him and took the foil wrapped bar. "I like chocolate, but I love you, Corso." Her smile dimmed. "I do love you, and I was so scared that you were hurt," she told him, her eyes filling. He bent to kiss her, and straightened at Shurxan's words.

"We need to move. There are creatures in this woods that won't be pleased we're out and about after dark." The tall Jedi started forward again, and within the hour they'd reached a small gathering of primitively built homes, nestled in the valley near a clear running river. They were met by several of the others there, and to Corso's eyes they were all Jedi, all in robes and wearing lightsaber hilts on their belts.

"We've cooked, and given them space in the center hut," a Cathar named Jestera told Joslin, coming forward to take a bag from Shurxan. Joslin nodded at her, and they exchanged smiles. Miriah saw them, and turned to her old friend.

"Joslin, what kind of expedition is this? A research colony? A trial habitation?" Miriah asked, curious now as to why they were met with drawn lightsabers.

"I'll tell you all you want to know, but first you need to rest and eat," Joslin assured her, leading them to the place they'd set up for their visitors. They entered the spare but very clean dwelling, seeing a pot of stew simmering, a fire carefully banked at one end and four cots at the other. In the center, a table and chairs sat, ready for their meal. Joslin and Shurxan joined them, chatting about the area and telling them about some of the people there. When they'd eaten all they wanted, Joslin turned to Miriah, holding her hands, and her aura flared briefly.

"Your child is growing well, and I'm glad you didn't get hurt in your landing. Your other son, where is he now?"

Miriah stared at her, "He's on Coruscant with my sisters and mother. We were headed to Tython to take someone who needed Grandmaster Shan's healing, so in the interests of keeping him safe we left him. We thought we'd be back there tomorrow." She turned her eyes to Aric, who had been guarded and watching everything since they'd left the pod wreckage. He was unreadable in the dim light, and Corso was so tired he was nodding off in his chair.

Joslin sighed deeply. "This is Aria moon, and our colony is one of outcasts. We all left the Order over relationships and emotions. Shurxan and I, we…uh…" she faltered.

Shurxan took her hand. "We left when we just couldn't ignore our feelings for each other. Everyone here is the same. We still have the force, but we no longer work within the teachings of the Jedi Order on emotions and relationships. We had hope, when we heard of Barsen'thor Magdalane's marriage, that things were changing on that front, but we later found out that it was a singular event." He turned to Joslin. "I'm going to our place, stay as long as you like." He gave her a quick smile, and left. Joslin turned to Miriah.

"Magdalane is the one, you know, who found out about us. She gave us advice, but ultimately didn't turn us in to our masters." She smiled, remembering the tall, graceful padawan who'd discovered them kissing in the shade of some ruins one afternoon. "I'll go now, leave you to rest. We'll figure out the next step in the morning." She hugged the tiny Miriah, waved to Aric as he watched her leave, and closed the door behind her.

"Aric, can you help me?" Miriah asked, trying to get Corso to a cot. His injury, though healed, and the long walk had drained him, and he barely moved when Aric hoisted him up and walked him to a cot. Miriah moved to cover him, and then sat near the fire, where Aric was currently sipping caffa.

"Okay, Aric. Speak. I know you're struggling to keep your thoughts in," Miriah joked, trying to break the shell the Cathar had put around himself.

Aric stared into the fire, still working some ideas around in his head about their current situation. After a few minutes of this, he spoke softly. "This is a strange place, Spitfire. These people, these Jedi, they're afraid. They act as if they're being hunted. They came at us, weapons drawn, and if the woman hadn't recognized you, do you think we'd be sitting here now?" He poked at the fire, making sparks fly up the chimney. "I left the subspace beacon on, so maybe we'll see someone come for us, but there's no way to communicate, and now we're not even at the crash site." He sighed, "We need to rest, especially you, and see what we can learn tomorrow. I don't think we're in danger here, but we need to keep our eyes open." He pulled her up from the small sofa. "Go to bed, Miriah, rest. We'll figure out a way home tomorrow." He gave her a tight hug, then walked over to the sleeping area.

Miriah spent a few minutes in the small refresher, then joined Corso in the narrow cot, not wanting to be by herself. As his arms went around her, pulling her into his body, she thought she felt her mother again but it was very brief and she felt her eyes closing.

Devin was himself again mostly, playing with the other children, but he seemed quieter. Sarai knew he missed his mother, she could feel that in the little guy's aura, but he seemed to be adapting. He glanced up at her and gave his trademark smile, and Sara felt his anxiety. She went to him and he crawled in her lap, settling his head on her shoulder. "Mama tired too, her night-night," he said, the emotion evident in his voice. "Want Mama home." Sarai rocked the little boy, and felt him succumb to sleep. After she'd put him in her room, she joined Maura and Magdalane in the living area.

"He said his mama was sleeping, I sure hope they're alright," Sarai said, her concern evident on her face.

"The orbital station is sending out shuttles to the moons tomorrow," Maura replied. "If anything, it's just a matter of time before they're home." She shifted Calleigh to her shoulder, standing to take her to her bed. "I wish they were here, but I have confidence they'll be here soon." She patted her mother's shoulder with her free hand, and took her sleeping daughter to rest.

Felix watched as Magdalane gave Ian a bottle. Michi was already in bed, and he was amazed at how seamlessly Ian had integrated into the family. He was an easy baby, content as long as he was full and dry, so unlike his daughter who had spent the first week of her life crying. Now if only Miriah and Corso and Aric were here, things would be perfect, he thought. He could feel the vague anxiety in his wife's aura and knew that she was working hard to lessen its impact on the others. He took the baby and kissed Mags on her forehead, knowing she was exhausted. She followed him after saying goodnight to her sister and mother, and when she'd gotten settled next to him, she finally spoke.

"I'm so afraid for them, Felix. There are so many thing that could have happened," she said, her head on his chest. "We need them back, we all need them here. I need them here." She felt her eyes fill, and clutched Felix's shirt.

"I know, sweetheart, we'll get them back. I promise, we will do everything to get them back." He softly rubbed her back, finally feeling her relax in sleep. We will find them, he thought. I'll make sure of that.

Sarai was picking up toys to put away when she heard a soft knock. Checking the camera screen, she saw Helena Garza outside, and let her in. "Helena, you've heard then?" she asked the ashen faced general.

"Yes, and I have ships being sent from the orbital station now. Sarai, they found a debris field near the exit to the hyperlane. They believe it to be the remains of the Stardancer." Her eyes reflected the fear and sorrow that the whole group in Coruscant had been feeling all day.

Sarai didn't even flinch. "We know, I've already been able to see that they are safe, they were able to eject in time." Garza let out a breath she wasn't even aware she was holding.

"Oh thank the stars!" she exclaimed, her hand on her chest. "I was afraid I was bringing terrible news. And I heard that you all had an exciting day, too."

Sarai smiled. "We did indeed. Magdalane is resting, but the baby is perfect. Can I get you some tea?" Sarai started walking toward the kitchen but was stopped by the general's voice.

"No, thank you, Sarai, I'm heading to bed. I just felt I needed to let you all know we're looking for them." Sarai patted her friend's arm.

"They'll be home soon, I feel confident." Sarai reset the security after the general had left, and went to her own room, Maura already asleep with the twins. Devin lay sprawled in his little boy way over half of her bed, but she didn't have the heart to move him to his own bed, down the hall from her. Instead, she shifted him over a little and when she lay down, he put his little hand on her arm. She could feel that he was comforted by her presence, and made a silent promise to her grandson that his mama would be home soon.

Corso woke to dim morning light, his wife warm and soft against him. He lifted his head and saw that the fireplace, their only source of heat, was low. He gingerly moved Miriah over and got up, hoping to rebuild the fire and not wake her or Aric. No such luck, he thought, as Aric sat up and pulled on his shirt.

"Wow, it gets colder here at night than Tatooine, " Aric commented softly, leaning over to get more wood from the bin beside the fireplace.

"Shh," Corso said, "Listen." They stilled, hearing the voices outside the cabin.

"We can't let them lead the Sith to us, you know we're in a vulnerable position here," Joslin was telling someone.

"We can wait until we sense their rescue vehicles, then take them back to the crash site. They can't stay here, Jos. They need to go home." Corso recognized the voice of Jestera, the Cathar they'd briefly met the day before.

"Maybe. Shurxan said something similar when I talked with him last night," Joslin paused. "But will the Republic rescue leave us be here? Won't they try to colonize our little moon?" She sighed. "I just want us to keep our place as it is. We sacrificed a lot to find a place we could be who we wanted to be, I don't want to give that up. I'd rather just hide them here than risk that."

Corso looked at Aric, who wore a worried frown, and over to Miriah, who was sleeping. No matter what, he thought, we have to get back. He glanced over to Aric, who nodded, knowing what his friend was thinking.

"We're going home. With or without their help," Aric declared softly.


	30. Chapter 30

Miriah was sitting on the side of the cot, trying to gain her equilibrium, when Joslin knocked at their door. The Jedi had brought food and more caffa. Us being here has to be a strain on their resources, Miriah thought, but Joslin seemed happy to help them.

"Good to see you got some rest," the Jedi said, placing the supplies on the table. "I've brought some things that you all might need, as well as food." She busied herself unpacking the canvas bag, sorting the items on the small surface. Aric moved to help her, and Corso approached his wife, seeing she was still slightly dizzy.

"Come, kitten. Get some juice, maybe a bite to eat. That should help," he told her, pulling her up and close to him. "We need to get rid of her, to talk about what Aric and I overheard," he whispered, and kissed her temple to cover himself. She lifted her face to his and he kissed her, and she almost felt normal. They moved together to the table, thanking Joslin and assuring her they'd be fine with what she'd brought.

When she'd gone, Aric told Miriah what they'd heard. "I can't believe they'd try to keep us here. Maybe Joslin is just being cautious. I can see why they'd be concerned about the Sith, since they're using emotions instead of suppressing them, but the rescue squads don't even need to know they're here. I'm sure someone knows, since these are not things that they've made," she indicated the table full of supplies, "and we wouldn't change that all." She paced near the table, the men watching to make sure she didn't get dizzy again. "I'll go talk to her, tell her we'll go back to the crash site alone, we won't even mention they helped us. She will listen to reason." She looked at the men, who were unconvinced but knew they had little alternative.

Corso walked with her out of their hut, and she spotted Jestera just outside, bringing a basket of potatoes into the camp. The women smiled at each other, and Jestera pointed toward the center of the camp. Joslin sat there with Shurxan, laughing and talking with some of the other Jedi there. Miriah saw that they all held hands and spoke freely, without the reservations most Jedi would have in a group. Maybe this is how it's supposed to be, not like at the temple, she mused. They made their way over to Joslin, who motioned to them to join the group.

"We were just wondering when you'd be anxious to get back to the pods, for your rescue," Shurxan said quietly. "We ask only that you not reveal our presence here. The Jedi Order knows we're here, and we trade with them for some of our supplies. But, as you might have noticed, we're rather isolated and we prefer it. The Sith," he looked directly into Miriah's silver eyes, willing her to understand, "have tried before to 'recruit' us, make us into their accomplishments. "

Miriah nodded, understanding why they wanted to keep their anonymity. She stood, drawing Joslin up and hugging her tightly. "Thank you, for helping us and for knowing that we need to get home. I can assure you that we will say nothing to the rescue squad, and if you ever need our help in anything, I will give you means to contact us." They parted, and Corso took Miriah's arm as they made their way to the hut.

"Well done, cyare. I think we'll be trekking back on our own, are you up to it?" He was always concerned about her, but now, even more so. She glanced up at him, nodding her head. I'll carry her if I have to, he thought, anything to get back to Coruscant. They walked inside the hut to see Aric had gathered their packs, redistributed the supplies to make them easier to carry, and was ready to set off.

Sarai woke with Devin sitting quietly beside her, playing with a small toy he must have had hidden in his pocket, she thought. She had to smile at his youthful resilience, but when he turned to look at her, she felt his unease, his longing for his mother overwhelming her. She hugged him close, felt his silent tears as he wished with all his heart he could hug his mama.

Miriah felt his despair, his longing for her, as if he were by her side. She stumbled on her way to pick up her jacket from the spare cot, and Corso hurried to her, seeing her pale and her eyes fill with tears. "It's Dev, I can feel him! He's so upset, wants me so badly, it's heartbreaking," she told Corso, clutching at his armor.

"Think calm, tell him with your mind you love him and that you're coming home soon," Corso urged her, and she tried to comply. He held onto her as he felt her relax, Aric looking on with a worried frown.

"We need to get moving, you two. If the beacon is still running, we should see results very soon, and we have at least two hours of walking." He looked out the window of the hut, seeing the community gathering outside.

Sarai held her grandson as he emptied his heart, and felt him relax. Miriah must be able to feel such strong emotion, and he can feel her, she thought, smiling at the little boy and wiping his tears. "Love mama," he said with a small smile, and Sarai took him for some breakfast. While the children ate, she told Maura what had happened that morning.

"They'll be found soon. The orbital station has shuttles going to all the moons of Tython, so we should hear something back today." She busied herself making sure the kids all had enough, then with wiping hands and faces before sending them off to play. Aric should be here, she thought, I won't let them all go off like this again. She fixed a tray of food and took it to her sister, who was still resting, having been up with her newborn son several times during the night.

"Mags," she whispered, and was relieved to see her sister awake, feeding Ian again. "Felix is with the children, and I know you need food. Here, let me feed the little guy." Maura gently took Ian from her sister's arms, and settled in the chair with him.

"I can feel so much emotion today," Mags said, "Is Devin doing okay?" Maura explained what Sarai had told her of the morning, and Mags slowly nodded her head.

"Makes sense, their bond is very strong," she said, putting jam on a piece of toast. "Miriah is probably beside herself, poor thing, having lost her ship and now being away." She chewed thoughtfully, watching Maura with the baby. She needs another, Mags thought, wondering if it was ever to be.

Aric and Corso walked with Miriah between them, out of the hut. As they descended the steps, Joslin and Shurxan approached them, stopping in front of them. "I know that our secret is safe with you, and we wanted to wish you a safe journey home," Joslin smiled, taking Miriah's hands in her own. "Thank you for your contact info, we might just need you all someday." Miriah smiled back at her old friend, and as they walked the path that would lead to their pod, each Jedi touched them, on the arm or the shoulder, and the group could feel the force grow around them, their blessings being sent through the contact. Aric took point, Corso following up, making sure that Miriah was okay.

They'd walked for nearly an hour when Aric called a rest break, since he'd glanced over his shoulder at the growing pallor on his sister in law's face. Miriah sat heavily, taking a water bottle and a handful of nuts from the only pouch they'd let her carry. "I guess it's the fact we're going uphill, not down, that's making this more difficult than it was yesterday," she said, taking a long pull of the water. "At least Devin seems settled, that was intense." She looked at both Aric and Corso, noting their frowns. "What?" she asked.

"Sleens," Aric said, pointing behind her. She whipped her head around, seeing the long, graceful neck of one of the beasts turn in their direction. "Let's move,"Aric barked, grabbing his pack up and pulling Miriah up by her hand. They surged forward, now at a faster pace, wanting to be well away from any creature that might decide they looked like food. They kept up that pace for about half an hour, when panting, Miriah stopped in the path.

"We're close, Mir, see the flare?" Corso said, putting his arm around her narrow shoulders. All she could do was nod, her breath coming in gasps from the exertion. He merely swung her up and over his shoulder, and caught up to Aric, matching his stride as they neared the crash site. As they crossed to the fallen trees, Aric picked up the subspace beacon.

"Still going strong. Mir, next time I make fun of you for being overly prepared, you have my permission to remind me of this," he grinned, doing a double take when he realized she was being carried by her husband. "When did you do that, Corso?" he asked, amused.

"When I was about to pass out about ten minutes ago," Miriah answered.

"She's about as heavy as one of the three packs I carried yesterday," Corso replied, gently putting her feet on the ground and keeping his arms around her, steadying her. "At least the pod looks undisturbed. We can rest while we wait for the shuttles." He'd just sat down on a downed tree when they heard the subspace radio inside the pod crackle to life.

"Tython Orbital rescue, respond," the voice said. Aric scrambled over to the pod, hoisting himself over the side and into the seat, grabbing the radio.

"Alpha Pod, from the Stardancer, requesting assistance," he said, his grin big enough to see from where Corso and Miriah were sitting.

"Copy. Evac on the way. Out." Aric vaulted over the side of the pod, joining the other two to wait.

Joslin looked up and grabbed Shurxan's hand. "Their rescue shuttle is here. Let's put up a force shield, just in case." They joined hands and their auras merged, blue white light coursing around them, as they put up the only barrier they had to outsiders.

There was no room for the shuttle to land among the wreckage, so they lowered a cable to the ground. "Cor, you take Miriah and go first," Aric said, and knowing that Miriah was the one in most need of being secure, Corso agreed. He attached the tether to his armor, pulled his wife close and held onto her as they were lifted into the shuttle. Aric followed soon after, and once they were secured in the seats the shuttle returned to orbit, where a larger ship waited for them.

"Welcome aboard the Experian," said the captain, an older Twilek who wore a huge smile. "Your family will be pleased to know you are safe aboard." Corso and Aric shook the man's hand, and the captain turned his smile to Miriah. "I've been told there's a certain little boy who needs his mama home as fast as we can get her there." She nodded, unable to speak around the lump in her throat, and he patted her shoulder.

"We're taking you to Tython first, for a quick debrief and med check, then we'll get you on your way to Coruscant," he told them. Miriah nodded, and they all returned to the lounge area, where the ship's droid had put out food and beverages. All Miriah wanted was to rest, and when they sat, she put her head on Corso's shoulder, asleep almost before he noticed she was there.

Felix rushed to the holo when the chime started, and only beat Maura there by a few seconds. They watched as Satele Shan's image came into focus, and Sarai came to a halt beside them. "You'll all be relieved to know that we have your family members aboard one of our ships, en route to Tython as we speak," she said, grinning at the cheers from the Coruscant end of the transmission. "We'll get them to you as quickly as we can once we make sure they're ready to travel that far."

"What about Colonel Jurin?" Sarai asked, but knowing in her soul the answer.

"He wasn't with the group, Master. I'm sorry. I don't know what happened any more than you do, but we'll put them on the holo when they get here. I've informed General Garza already, and we'll talk soon." The holo fizzled out, but the spirits in the apartment were high at the news.

I knew he was alive, Maura thought, as she gathered the twins close.

"Daddy coming home?" Calleigh asked, her silver eyes hopeful.

"Yes, Daddy is coming home," Maura told her, seeing both her daughter and Colin grin. Not soon enough, Maura thought, and smiled at her children. Devin watched them, moving toward his aunt. She caught the little boy in a hug, whispering to him, "Your mama is coming home soon too, Dev." He squeezed his aunt's neck and smiled his father's smile.

Sarai felt the force disturbance as Garza entered their floor, and met her at the door of the apartment. "Helena," Sarai said, and caught the other woman as she collapsed, pulling her into the apartment. It was later in the evening and the children were all asleep, save Ian, who was in his father's arms on the sofa. Sarai led her friend there and Maura poured the general a cup of tea.

"I'm so sorry, Helena," Sarai said softly, letting the woman get control of her emotions. Garza accepted the tea with a grateful smile.

"We'd been friends for a very long time, but had only been seeing each other as more than friends for a few weeks, " she said, sniffing. "I think he had a feeling or maybe he knew but couldn't say, that something was going to go wrong." She took a sip of the tea. "He seemed to be saying goodbye that last night on the ship." She looked around at the people she'd come to see as an extension of her own family. "I don't even know how to go about this. Replacing Miriah's ship? Credits?" She shook her head, it had been a very long and exhausting day.

Sarai patted her friend's hand. "Don't worry about all of that now. Allow yourself to grieve over losing someone you cared about, Helena."

"You're right, I know," Garza acknowledged. "I got word today that the Balmorran senate is returning home, and of course Diedre and Paolo with them." She glanced over at Ian, asleep in Felix's arms. "And Magdalane, he's beautiful. So many changes." She started to get up but found she had no desire to leave this refuge, the caring and warmth of these people. Sarai felt her reluctance and told her to stay, and the others agreed. Felix stood and took Ian to his cradle, and Maura brought a pillow and soft blanket.

"Now, my friend, rest," Sarai told the general, slipping off the other woman's shoes and covering her with the blanket. Helena felt the calming touch of force just as she closed her eyes, and sank into rest.

Corso and Aric talked quietly about what to do now. "Do you think she'll pick out another ship?" Aric asked, his eyes on the sleeping Miriah.

"Probably," Corso replied, "she hasn't said too much about it. I think all she wants right now is Devin, and I'd have to agree. I miss him, so much."

"I'm with you on that. I want Maura and the twins beside me," Aric confirmed. They flew on, toward Tython, their hearts already on Courscant.


	31. Chapter 31

Mirah felt the thud of the magnetic clamps as the ship docked with the Tython Orbital station, and slowly opened her eyes. Not her ship, there wasn't one that was hers anymore. That had started the churning in her gut, and she put her hand gingerly on her middle. Corso was beside her in an instant, making a leap over to where she was lying on the sofa from where he'd been looking out a window. She shook her head, partially to clear it, partially to tell Corso she was alright. He simply watched her as she cautiously sat up, and they both turned their eyes to Aric as he approached them from the bridge.

"Safe to go, guys. They want us to get checked out at the med station then we have an appointment with the Jedi." Aric shrugged, he'd do whatever they wanted as long as it got him closer to being with his family. He was puzzled by Miriah's dissent. "What, Mir? Not feeling up to walking over?" His concern was evident in his voice.

"No, I think I could make it, but why? If the Jedi want to know what happened to my ship and Gregor Jurin, they can come to me. Then they can learn what they want, and we'll already be on the ship, ready to go to Coruscant. Or better yet, home to Dantooine." She turned to Corso, "Let's do that! Send word to the rest of the family to meet us on Dantooine!" Her eyes pleaded with him. "Please, sugar, let's go home. Let's just go home." She stood, a little shaky but on her own, and started across the lounge toward the air lock. The men followed, knowing that once Miriah had a direction, she would not stop until she had to. She was speed walking now, getting closer to the public holo, and once it was in sight, broke out in a hard run toward it. Corso grinned then, knowing her mind, and by the time he caught up the holo was connecting to the apartment on Coruscant.

Sarai answered, her smile covering her whole face. "Miriah! Thank the force! I… " She was interrupted by Devin, who had come running to the holo.

"Mama! Daddy! " His smile was triumphant, and brought tears to Miriah's eyes. His words were drowned out by the shouts and cries of Colin and Calleigh, and were joined by Maura. Once the kids had a chance to say hellos, only Devin remained, quiet now, but his eyes locked with his mother's.

"We've had quite an eventful few days here," Maura was saying now, and moved out of holocam range to pull Magdalane and Felix in, Ian in his father's arms.

"Oh! Mags! You had the baby! And I missed it all!" Miriah cried, jumping up and down a little. "He's beautiful, and I want to hear all about it!"

"There's quite a story there, Mir, and I'll tell you all about it when you're all back with us. When will that be, by the way?" She smiled at her sister, seeing the weariness that she carried along with the joy of seeing them all.

"As soon as we get clearance, we're on the way. I was going to suggest we all just meet on Dantooine, but I won't ask you to travel with Ian so new." She saw her mother lift Devin in her arms and ached to be able to do the same. "Not soon enough, in my opinion." Aric was waiting to talk to Maura and the twins, and she wanted to let him have the holo, but not before blowing a kiss to her son.

"Love you, Mama, " he told her in his sweet little voice, reaching his hand out to the holo image of her.

"I love you too, sweet man. I'll be there soon, okay?" She grinned at him when he smiled and nodded, and she moved aside to let Aric and Maura talk. Corso took her in a hug, and walked her over to a bench not far away.

"He's fine, love. I know you want to be with him but he's doing well." He kissed her forehead, feeling her tears on his shirt. "Shh kitten, we'll be with him soon." He was ready to get things going, and get back on the ship for Coruscant. When Aric had assured Maura that he was fine, and the twins that he'd be home soon, they walked leisurely toward the med station, Miriah stopping for a snack of fried cheese from a vendor. The gooey mess looked wonderful, and the two men couldn't resist when they saw how much she enjoyed it. They were all laughing when they entered the med station, and were only there a few minutes for scans before they were released for travel.

"So, who wants to bet that there's at least one Jedi waiting to speak to us when we reach the cantina?" Aric said, grinning at the other two. He'd relayed Miriah's request to the ship's captain, and felt certain it would be met. The Chantalle family has deep roots in the Jedi Order, he thought, and even a force blind daughter would be accommodated. Sure enough, there were three brown-robed figures in the cantina when they arrived, and Aric had to snicker at Miriah's grin.

They made their way over to the trio, and recognized Grandmaster Satele Shan herself sitting in a plain brown robe, her distinct eyes the only part of her visible. "Hello, Grandmaster," Aric greeted her, and she introduced the other two with her, padawans. "So what is it that you want to know? The Stardancer was sabotaged, we were unable to come out of hyperspace and we exploded. Corso tried to get Jurin into the escape pod, but he refused and launched the pod instead." Corso nodded.

"He even waved at me," Corso said, "then hit the button." Shan sighed before speaking.

"The Castellan restraints are such a mystery to us," she said. "I'm not sure we could have helped him, or if we could, what he might be able to tell us, but it's a shame that we didn't get the chance to try." She sent the padawans off to ready her shuttle, and when they were gone, she turned to the group. "I understand you landed on Aria."

"We did," Miriah responded. "Corso hiked to our pod with the supply bags, Aric and I had the beacons going, and we were fine until the shuttle rescued us." She made her mind a blank, resolving to give nothing away. Her steady gaze never wavered, and Shan broke eye contact with her.

"Very well, then , I believe you are on your way to your family. Please give Magdalane our congratulations, I understand that Ian has arrived in your absence." Shan smiled at the group, and they stood to leave.

"Thank you, Grandmaster, for coming here. It get us just that much closer to them." Miriah was grateful, and when she'd exchanged a bow with the tall Jedi, she turned and was off, making the men hustle to catch up to her. They all had a surprise waiting for them, however, when they reached the hangar they'd left. The Experian had been replaced, and Aric immediately recognized the ship.

"General Garza's flagship," he said in a hushed voice. "She must have sent it yesterday, and it will get us to Coruscant much faster than the Experian would have." They stood there looking at the sleek vessel until the ramp lowered and a major walked down to them, his uniform covered in decoration and his salute sharp.

"Major Sands, sirs," he said, addressing Aric primarily. "Here to take you to your family. General Garza said to tell you that she has full confidence that we will break every speed reg to do so." Here he grinned, and turned to Miriah. "She also told me personally that you were as good a pilot as you are a baker, and I should let you drive if you wish."

Miriah smiled at him, but shook her head. "I'm not checked out on your craft, Major, but I'm all for the speed. Let's get going!" She pushed past him as he chuckled, and they boarded the ship, where they saw that their bags had already been stored in plush quarters, where they were told to help themselves to whatever they liked from the trunks. The beds were plush and inviting, the galley spacious. When Miriah entered her and Corso's assigned cabin, she started stripping as she made her way to the shower, and Corso joined her under the hot water, her sighs of pleasure encompassing both her husband and the glorious hot water from jets situated all along the walls. After they'd dried off and found clean clothing, they joined Aric in the galley. Hot food was being served, and not replicated or cooked by droids. Corso closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, the scent of the dishes filling his nostrils and making his stomach audibly grumble.

They were served and Corso saw Miriah actually eat well for a change. He and Aric were talking, sipping fresh caffa after the meal, when Miriah stood and stretched. "I'm going to put this kiddo to sleep," she told them, and without a backward glance, made her way to their quarters. They would be in hyperspace for a total of eighteen hours before they were close enough to Coruscant to holo the family again, so sleep was a good option.

Miriah was full and warm, but sleep continued to elude her as the minutes ticked past, and her thoughts were on her family. Maura looked happy to see them but also a little angry, probably because she'd been dealing with the kids on her own without Aric there. And Ian was here, she thought. Devin looks okay but I feel his longing, she mused, and it matches my own. Magdalane looked good, Felix looked tired, and they all seemed to be waiting for something. For us, she concluded. She was beginning to relax when Corso joined her, moving quietly through the cabin. He sat on the edge of the soft bed to take his boots off, and jumped when she touched his back.

"Hey, gorgeous, didn't meant to wake you," he whispered.

"I hadn't fallen asleep yet, was just thinking about getting home," she told him, watching him find the thin soft pants she'd pulled out for him and tug them on over muscled thighs. He pulled back the covers and snuggled her close to him, stroking her hair.

"I want to be there too, kitten. Tomorrow evening, we can hug on Devin and you can hold our new nephew." He felt her hands on his chest, igniting his senses and making him momentarily speechless.

"Well, we have this lovely bed, and a long hyperspace wait. I think I can figure out a few things to occupy you," she said with a purr, nipping his shoulder then kissing the same spot. He took his time with her, savoring being safe and with her. When she finally slept, he cradled her against him, his last thought before sleeping himself was that he was so thankful things had turned out the way they had.

Aric entered his quarters alone, and even in the luxury of his surroundings, was restless. He missed Maura, her amber eyes and her long, lithe limbs. He decided, since he'd never done so before, that he would write her a love letter, and pulled his datapad to him, propped up on the plump pillows of the bed.

Maura, my love, my one-

I miss you. Seems like a simple statement of fact, but it carries so much more into my heart. The explosion made me realize that we have so much. The twins, certainly, but more than that. We have an intangible something, love. I can't imagine my life without you. The last couple of days have given me a taste of what that would be like, and I wouldn't survive in that world.

I see Corso with Miriah, and I long for you. I want another child with you. I want to wake up and go to sleep with you beside me forever. I want to feel your silken skin on mine and run my fingers through your hair.

I love you, Maura. I always will. I can't wait to be with you.

Until tomorrow,

Aric

He held his breath and sent the letter, hoping it conveyed the sentiment he wanted to send to her. He felt like he hadn't really slept since he left Coruscant, so he took a long, hot shower and when he lay down, he was immediately asleep.

None of them were immediately aware of the evasive maneuvers the ship took, nor were they aware of the six Imperial fighters firing on the flagship, but Miriah did wake when the ship took a steep dive, and when she jumped out of bed Corso woke. She stumbled as the internal gravity sensors struggled to keep up with the violent pitching of the vessel, and Corso caught her, helping her dress quickly. She was still pulling on her boots when Aric came into the room, his eyes wide.

"Not again! This cannot be happening again!" Aric shouted. They were on the way to the bridge when they felt the ship jump into hyperspace, and smooth out in its flight. Miriah looked at the two men, then turned to find the captain.

"There you are. Just wanted to assure you we've got things under control here now. We were met by a squadron of Imperial fighters when we made the transition from the Tython hyperlane to the Coruscant lane, but we're well away now. Minimal damage, and we're at one and a half times the normal hyperspeed now." He looked at Miriah's pallor and patted her shoulder. "I promise, you will get to Coruscant safely. We're already so far into Republic space, they'd be fools to follow. Besides," he chuckled," that squadron that scrambled out of Pallista Spaceport on Alderaan will have engaged them by now." He escorted them back to the lounge area, and Miriah sat heavily in one of the chairs.

"I thought it was over, I really did. Now, I have to wonder who aboard or in Garza's office is the leak." She looked at Corso and Aric, but neither had an answer.


	32. Chapter 32

Maura heard her datapad chime with an incoming message just as she lay down. The twins were a handful tonight, she thought, since they'd gotten to see Aric and knew he was coming home. She'd lain awake worrying almost since Aric had left, so she was looking forward to being able to sleep. She almost ignored the chime, since she figured it was something stupid one of her friends had sent her, but found she couldn't close her eyes until she looked at it. She reached across Aric's side of the bed to retrieve the pad, and was shocked to see a letter from him. Her eyes filled as she read, once, then again, the words he'd lovingly sent her. She fell into a deep sleep, her datapad clutched to her chest. He'd be home soon, was her last thought.

Sarai felt Miriah's terror in her sleep and it woke her, panic filling her mind, then it smoothed. Unsettled, the Jedi got up and checked on Devin, who was sleeping soundly, and walked out to the kitchen. Magdalane was already there, having felt the strong emotion as well or perhaps better than her mother. "What do you suppose happened? It wasn't a dream, something did happen, but it seems to have resolved. What do you think, Mom?"

Sarai pursed her lips, thinking. "I can only conclude that something happened, something that had her mind screaming in fear, but then whatever the threat was, it went away. She's calm now, at least."

Magdalane sighed, and retrieved a bottle from the cooler, warming it with the force and her hands. "At least Devin didn't feel it, he's still sleeping, right?" Sarai nodded, rubbing her arms. "Go back to bed, Mom. You're exhausted. I'm taking this to Felix, he's got the next feeding." She smiled, hugged her mother, and went back to her bed.

Sarai was standing at the glass door that led to the balcony when she felt Helena Garza approaching their door, and opened it before the chime sounded. "Helena, what happened?" Sarai asked, seeing the worry on her friend's face.

"I sent my flagship for them, and when they made the transition in lanes, they were met by an Imperial fighter squadron. They're fine," she assured Sarai," but there were only six people who knew where that ship was and who was aboard. With Gregor dead, I would have thought the danger was gone. Now, I know it hasn't." She followed Sarai to the sofa, and chose a plush chair, sitting heavily. "This narrows the possible suspects, but I'll feel better when they're here."

Sarai chuckled softly, "You and me both, my friend. It was so good to be able to talk to them earlier. Devin was more settled than I've seen him since Miriah left, and the twins are so excited that their dad is on the way home." They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes.

"I'm tired, Sarai. I'd like to ask for a favor, not that you all haven't already done so much." Helena glanced at her friend. "I want to take a vacation, and I'd like to do that on Dantooine. Is there a place there that I can go, and just relax?"

"Of course! You can stay in the same room you were in before, and we'll just relax and play with grandbabies!" Sarai grinned, and saw Helena's smile.

Corso sat next to his wife, knowing sleep was out of the question now. Aric sat across from them, rubbing his tired eyes. "I don't think I've slept more than three hours in a stretch since we left Coruscant," Aric said. "I thought I'd left the extended fatigue when I left Havoc." He smiled sadly. "Mir, you okay?"

Miriah nodded, her heart rate had returned to normal but her tired mind was working over the attack. "There had to be a limited number of people who knew about this trip. If we narrow that list down, we have our suspects."

"Unless the filed flight plan was intercepted and rerouted, or there's electronic surveillance, or .." Corso's statement was interrupted by Miriah's kiss, and he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Just hold me, sugar," she told him, "and let's not try to figure it out until we get back." He nodded and cuddled her, feeling her relax against him, and minutes later felt her breathing even out in sleep.

"She's out?" Aric asked, and saw Corso nod in response. "I wonder if there's someone on Tython, or in the orbital station, who is involved in this," he said quietly. They still had seven hours of hyperspace, then two of flight before landing, and Aric wondered if there would be any more danger. The chairs reclined, and both men tried to get comfortable, Corso with his wife in his lap. They were just beginning to relax again when a service droid wheeled silently up. Its mechanical voice, asking if they wished hot beverages, made them both jump.

"Damn, we need to back off the caffa, I think," Corso chuckled, but he knew caffa was not the problem. Miriah shifted, slipping her hand under his shirt to trace her fingertips across his skin. He covered her hand with his, trapping her wandering fingers and hopefully saving himself some embarrassment, but Aric saw and smirked. Corso braced himself for teasing, but Aric surprised him.

"We are so lucky, Cor, that we have these women in our lives. I love Maura so much, and this little excursion has made me realize that with the activity of the twins and the office, sometimes we forget to love each other. You and Mir never forget. Look at her, she's dead asleep, and she still craves you." Corso blushed at his words, but knew they were true. Aric rubbed his tired eyes. "I just want to be with her, I mean, I want to see Colin and Calleigh, but I want to hold Maura." He sighed, and closed his eyes, trying to relax.

Sarai was still restless, and she supposed she would be until her daughter was back. She wandered through the apartment, picking up a toy here, a stray hair bow there. We're blessed, she thought, with so many little ones. She smiled when she thought of Logan. She'd missed Miriah being pregnant before, admittedly of her own doing, but she was determined to be present for her youngest this time. She turned toward the hallway instinctively when she heard Ian's cry, but realized his father was on hand for him. Maybe, if Ian hadn't died on Coruscant, I wouldn't have been such a terrible mom when Miriah was born. She sighed, knowing this was the distant past. I just need them to be here, she thought.

Corso watched his friend and brother in law, the Cathar finally sleeping. He was nodding off himself when he heard someone speaking, in the hallway. "We need to get there, I know. Garza said she'd cut off pieces of our anatomy that we are fond of if something happens to them."

"How far out are we now?" another voice asked.

"Five hours, give or take a few minutes," the first voice answered. "We won't get the landing coordinates until we enter orbit, so there will be less chance of an unauthorized welcoming party."

Corso heard their footsteps heading away from the lounge area. Five hours, he thought, and closed his eyes, Miriah sleeping in his arms. Five hours, and we get some of our lives back. He drifted to sleep, Miriah's hair in one of his hands.

They were all able to sleep until they docked, which surprised Corso. The clunk of the docking clamps woke them, and Aric jumped up, and leaned over to help Miriah stand. She was a little shaky, he noticed, but her color remained normal. They made their way to the air lock, ready to see their family. The major found them there.

"Your loved ones are not at the spaceport, for security reasons," he told them. "They haven't been informed that you're here, not yet. General Garza has a plan." They waited with the major until he'd received a message in his relay, which he acknowledged with a quick nod. He entered a code in the hatch pad, and the air lock released. They were met by the dark interior of a vehicle.

"This is a hazmat truck. Armored, no windows, nothing for anyone to see. We use it to transport weapons normally, but today it will take you into the military compound and underneath your building. Garza will meet you there." He turned to them, bowed at the waist, and saluted Aric. "It was an honor to be a part of your return. Thank you, for all your group does for our boys." They thanked him and walked down the ramp to the waiting truck.

"Never figured I'd be thought of as hazardous," Miriah joked, trying to keep her anxiety at bay. All she wanted was Devin, and the seemingly endless delays were beginning to annoy her. They sat on the benches inside the cargo area, and Corso took her hand, knowing what she really wanted.

"Just a few more minutes, darlin'," he told her, seeing her slight smile in the very dim light from the strips along the floor. When the truck stopped, she jumped up, standing at the doorway. The panel slowly rose, and Garza came into view.

"Welcome home, Advantages. Let's go see your family," she said, already walking to the elevators where four soldiers stood at attention. They said nothing, but Miriah was vibrating with anticipation by the time they reached the twenty-ninth floor.

Inside the apartment, Maura was yelling at General Garza's assistant. "We know they're en route, why can't you tell us? We're not the ones who let them be fired on by Imperials." She kicked the holo panel, ending the call. It was then that she noticed Devin. He'd run to the door of the apartment and was standing there, bouncing, his grin huge. He knows something, she thought, just before the door panel slid open.

"Mama!" he yelled, and launched himself at Miriah. Thankfully, Corso was behind her, and kept her from being tackled. She ignored the hisses and protests and lifted her son in her arms. Devin buried his face in her shoulder, grabbing his customary handful of silky black hair. They didn't need words, their tearful reunion consisted of touch and unspoken relief. Corso merely held them both in his arms, and his own eyes filled when Devin reached out and stroked his face.

Aric had a child on each hip, but his attention was squarely on his wife, who had her arms around his neck. "I love you, Maura," he whispered, and her kiss was all the answer he needed. Colin wanted to hear all about where he'd been, and Calleigh just wanted to be close to him. They moved to the living area and sat.

Corso finally led Miriah, still holding Devin, to the same area. The joyful voices were suddenly interrupted when Magdalane came into the room, holding Ian in her arms. "Mags! Bring him over," Miriah encouraged her sister. Devin wasn't budging, but she wanted to see Ian. Mags sat beside Miriah, holding Ian so that her sister could see him. "He's quite handsome, Mags. I'm so glad everything went okay," she told her sister, her eyes shining.

"Devin was instrumental in his birth," Mags told her quietly. Corso caught this, and his worried frown made Mags smile.

"Did he run into you, put you into labor or something?" Corso sighed, the boy was a force of nature, for sure.

"Oh no, he helped, so much! I was unable to summon enough force to deal with late labor. Devin could feel this through the force, and gave me his." Mags shrugged, not really knowing how to explain it further. "He is your son, Mir, he can no more ignore someone in need than you ever could." Her smile told them there was more, but Mags wanted to wait until they were more settled to tell them how powerful their son was.

Devin lifted his head from his mother's shoulder and smiled at her. "Mama, Daddy, home. Miss you. Not go again." He reached for his father then, but didn't let go of his handful of hair, which made Miriah smile. "Love you, Daddy," he told Corso, before he snuggled into his dad's shoulder.

Sarai cooked dinner for them, and they realized then that their security force had been doubled. Corso went to the kitchen to help, Devin going back to his mother's lap. She was quietly talking to him when Corso brought them both a snack. "Thanks, sugar," she smiled at her husband, Devin holding his cookie.

"Want Mama to eat," he told her, holding his cookie out to her. "Need to grow baby." He smiled at her obvious shock, holding the cookie to her mouth. "Bite, Mama," he said, giggling. She took a small bite.

"Now you take a bite," she told him, laughing when he did so with exaggerated motions. He's so different, she thought, or maybe I'm just noticing he's growing up so fast. She hugged her little boy tightly, making him giggle harder. Corso spotted them and smiled, his heart feeling full.

Aric sat with his arm around Maura, feeling whole now that he was with her. The twins were reluctant to get too far away, and that was fine with him. Magdalane and Felix were in the chairs, Michi playing with the twins, Felix feeding Ian. There was a peace in the apartment, Sarai thought, with everyone here. There's a feeling of completeness, of wholeness, that's been missing for days now.

Their evening of peace was hard won, and would prove to be too short.


	33. Chapter 33

Corso woke again as Miriah got up, Devin whimpering and calling for her. They knew he was still suffering from the past week's events, but Miriah was approaching exhaustion, her much needed rest being constantly interrupted. "Just bring him to bed with us, darlin'," he'd whispered, but she'd shaken her head.

"No, that would set a dangerous precedent," she'd answered, and went into the little boy's room. Her nausea had settled, and she was generally feeling much better, apart from the fatigue. She returned to their bed, and Corso pulled her close, his gentle hands slowly rubbing her back. "Maybe next time, just use your force connection to calm him. Logan needs you to rest, even if Devin doesn't realize it yet." Her murmur of agreement told him she was drifting into sleep again, and he softly kissed her forehead. Maybe he feels something, something he can't really figure out or tell us about, Corso wondered. He'd ask Mags in the morning, he thought, sliding into sleep again himself.

Sarai felt her grandson's unease, but attributed it to the fear his mother would be gone when he woke. She'd felt the many times he'd awakened, panicked, during the night, but wasn't quite sure what the little boy was feeling. So many unanswered questions, she thought, maybe he's just picking up on that. They'd had a great evening, everyone able to relax and enjoy each other, now that they were all together again. They would all meet in a few hours and evaluate what they knew and which direction would be best. She sighed, and felt her youngest daughter succumb to sleep again, and was able to do the same.

By morning Magdalane was feeling almost normal, her recovery from childbirth being force facilitated. She'd been aware of the restlessness during the night, but knew that Devin was just anxious about being away from his mother's arms. The little guy had been touching her since Miriah had walked into the apartment yesterday afternoon, she thought. She walked into the kitchen, surprised to find Corso and her mom already there, working on putting breakfast together.

"You two are up early," she said, seeing that they were perfectly happy cooking together. Corso hugged her and returned to getting things ready to make his famous omelets. Sarai looked at her oldest daughter and smiled.

"Yes, I just couldn't go back to sleep after Devin's last bad dream, and Corso is hoping that Miriah can get a little more rest." Sarai handed Magdalane a cup of tea, fixed exactly like Mags would have. "Sorry, sweetheart, I felt you awake and got it ready for you."

Magdalane smiled her thanks, and sat at the table. "Poor Dev. He's afraid he'll wake up and his mom will be gone again. He logically knows she's here, but his subconscious won't let him believe it." She sipped the hot tea slowly, savoring the flavor.

Corso looked up from his chopping. "I put him in our bed with her before I came out, maybe they can both get some rest now." He gathered mushrooms and put them in a bowl. "I sure hope so, anyway. Mir needs more sleep than she's been getting, and it breaks my heart to see Devin so anxious."

Miriah reached for her husband and instead felt her son beside her, sleeping soundly. Poor sweetie, she thought, and pulled him to her. The little boy had a handful of her hair, his favorite comfort measure, and was sleeping better than he had all night. She smoothed his own black hair away from his face, and closed her eyes again. Feels good, she thought, to be with him, and she slept. It was midmorning when they both finally woke and made their way out to the main area, everyone had already had breakfast and was either playing or working. Corso met her halfway across the room, bending to take his good morning kiss, and lifting Devin at the same time.

"Morning, love. Good to see you rested," he told her, his little boy's arms around his neck. "Let me make you some breakfast." He led his little family to the table, and when Miriah sat, he put Devin in her lap. "I have Devin's already warming, but I wanted to see what you might feel up to before I cooked," he told her. Felix walked up and held his arms out to Devin, who normally would be happy to be with Felix. This morning, though, the little boy beamed a bright smile to his uncle but wasn't about to leave his mama.

"Wow, rejected," Felix said, laughing.

"Sorry, Felix, he's being clingy," Miriah said, kissing the little boy's cheek.

"That's fine, I think he's entitled to be," Felix replied, sitting with them at the table. Sarai brought her tea over as well, and bent to kiss her grandson.

"You both needed the rest, Mir. And now some breakfast, which I see is in progress." Sarai went into the kitchen and brought back Devin's food, scooting his chair close to his mother's. "Come on, Dev, sit right here beside your mom and eat, okay? " She could sense his hesitation, and Miriah spoke to him.

"It's okay son, I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere," she told him, their eyes locking. Devin put his hand on his mother's face and then allowed his grandmother to put him in his chair. He ate like he hadn't in ages, and in quantities that seemed large for him. Miriah just stared as he consumed everything his grandmother brought him.

"He's been like this since he helped Magdalane with Ian's birth, like I can't fill him up." Sarai was peeling an apple for him, and missed Miriah's confused look.

"What do you mean, Mom? What exactly happened?"

"Well, sweetie, Mags was really having trouble, and Maura and I weren't really enough. She'd been in labor for almost two days, and was so energy depleted. She was struggling, and about to resort to stims, when Devin here climbed up on the bed and just put his hand on her arm. She said she could feel his force add to hers, and she was able to use it to overcome the pain." Sarai grinned at her grandson, who held out a piece of the apple to his grandmother.

Corso heard this, and looked at his son with wonder. How had he known, and known what to do, he mused. He shook his head and took the omelet to Miriah, who took his hand and pulled him to sit with her.

Sarai continued. "He just put his little hands on her, and she said she could feel pure force power. You know, it's often the little ones who can open themselves up to the most to the force." Sarai put another handful of grapes in front of her grandson. "Anyway, since then he's been so anxious, I think he just burns off everything he eats." He took a grape, and held it to his mother.

"Eat, Mama," he told her, smiling. She smoothed his hair with her hand, but continued to look at her mother.

"So he opened himself to his force power, and now he's just Devin again? How does that work?" She absently took the fork Corso handed her, and took a bite of her breakfast. The savory blend of ingredients danced on her tongue and she closed her eyes. "This is so good, sugar. Thank you," she smiled, and Corso smiled back.

"Basically. He so young, but his nurturing spirit, thanks to you both, makes him more sensitive to those in need. Just like he can tell when you're upset or anxious, Miriah." Devin grinned at her then, and Sarai wiped his hands and face, lifting him from the chair and putting him on the floor. He stood at his mother's side, and when she looked at him he grinned.

"Mama eat," he told her, and then pointed to where Colin, Calleigh and Michi were playing with toys. "I go play. Mama stay here?"

"Yes, Mama is staying here," she told him, smiling at him. He looked into her eyes for a moment more and took off at a run, the first time he'd gone on his own to play since before the Tython trip. She watched as he stopped twice to look back, seeing if she was still there, and saw him position himself with Colin so that he could still see her while he pushed toys across the carpeting. "He's still nervous about me leaving."

"He is, and probably will be for a little bit, but that's normal, I'd think," Corso replied. "Eat up, Mama. We're all meeting about the next steps here in a few. Aric is working on the timeline now." She glanced up at him, and took another bite of her breakfast. When she'd finished, without nausea, they all moved into the workroom.

Aric was standing in front of one of their smartboards, Maura sitting close to him. They look content, Corso thought, and it made him happy to see them so connected. They sat, along with Magdalane and Felix, and Aric spoke.

"First, these are the six names who we know were aware of our travel plans," he pointed to the smartboard. "And guess what? Every one of them is supposed to be at this next senate candidate function, tonight. I'd bet they're not expecting Maura to show, so I propose we surprise them. I think me, Corso, and Felix should go with Maura tonight. What do you guys think?"

Sarai spoke first. "I'm going. You need a force user, and I'd like to be there for Helena." She waited for dissenting voices, but no one argued with her.

"I agree with Mags staying home, stars, she just gave birth. But I should be there," Miriah said. Corso wanted to argue, but before he could say anything, Aric was shaking his head.

"No way, Mir. Devin needs you here, he's been through enough, and Corso needs a break from worrying about you and Logan." Corso let out the breath he'd been holding, realizing Miriah took that statement better from Aric than from him.

"Please, cyare," Corso said softly, squeezing her hand. She finally nodded, and he kissed her head, his eyes closing in relief.

"Okay then, the plan is to try and talk with each of the people on this list, but no one goes anywhere alone. We'll have relays, so we can communicate with Mags and Miriah if we need to. Anyone have any other questions or thoughts?" Aric turned to Maura, who just smiled at him.

"Mom, we'll have the most coveted escorts at the dinner," Maura said, and saw Sarai's grin of agreement. "And we'll tell you everything that's going on, Miriah. Now, come help me decide what to wear." The women left, giggling and Aric turned to the guys.

"One of these people is our prime suspect, and we'll need to be on our toes," he said. "Felix, if you need to be here with Mags, I totally understand."

"No, I'm in this," Felix answered quickly. He'd been feeling a little left out lately, but now that Ian was here, his only concern was that Magdalane was safe.

"Okay, then let's make sure the relays are all set to go, and we can relax until this evening." Aric checked out half of the relays, Corso the others and they left the workroom together, crossing to the children. Devin saw his dad and ran to him, his little arms lifted to be held. Corso swung him up, smiling at his giggles, and they sat in the floor to play.

Miriah followed her sisters into Maura's room to look at the gowns there, and when they'd gotten inside the room, Magdalane hugged Miriah almost like Devin had, and Miriah could feel her sister's tears. "What's wrong, Maggie Mae? Don't cry, sis."

"I just can't even express to you how much Devin's help meant to me," she said. "Your son, Mir, is very strong. You've allowed him to think on his own, taught him to be open to ideas and thoughts. I didn't want to get into it out there, because I knew I'd get emotional, but understand. He formed the soul link. Not me. He did it, and he's never gotten any training." She grabbed her youngest sister's hand, trying to make Miriah understand what a special child she had.

"Sweetie, I'm so glad he helped. He's amazing me lately, yesterday he wanted me to eat so I could grow the baby, so he's realized Logan is on the way. I felt him wanting me home when we were waiting for the rescue shuttle. I know he's special, and it scares me a little."

"Don't be afraid, he is the best of both you and Corso. You guys are the models." She sniffed and wiped her face and sat on the bed. "Now, Maura, dazzle us with your fashions."

Aric sat on the floor with Corso, the children playing around them. "Thanks, man, for telling Miriah to stay here," Corso told him. "If I'd said it, she'd have been mad."

"Oh, she was mad," Aric laughed, "but when she took a moment to think about it, I knew she'd put Devin and Logan above anything else. Besides, I need you to put your full attention on the six, and not be distracted by your wife." Corso blushed, but nodded.

Maura got ready for the evening, her sisters helping her. When she left her room, she was a vision in black, and it took Aric's breath away to look at her. Corso stood close to him and whispered, "And you were worried about me being distracted." Sarai joined them, and Mags and Miriah saw them off.

"Think about me, sugar, and I'll be waiting for you. Love you, Corso Riggs, so much," she told him, getting a long, knee-weakening kiss from him. Devin ran up to them then, and pulled on his mother's pants legs to get her attention. "No, Dev, I'm not going anywhere, son. Just Daddy, but he'll be home soon." The little boy hugged her leg, not letting go until she'd moved away from the door. She waved at Corso, and the group was off.

Miriah and Mags got the children in bed, all but Devin and Ian, one refusing to leave his mother and the other getting his bottle. They sat, a child in their arms, and talked quietly. Mags had gotten up to take Ian to his cradle when Miriah heard her relay click. "Hey darlin', just wanted to tell you I love you." Miriah grinned to herself, Corso is such the romantic, she thought.

Seconds after he sent his love to his wife, Corso and the whole group were under their table at the dinner, desperately trying to avoid the sudden barrage of blaster fire.


	34. Chapter 34

Magdalane rushed back into the room where Miriah was still holding a sleeping Devin. "Something's happened, Felix is hurt," she said, pulling on her shoes. "I'm going to the Senate Hall."

"Wait, Mags, what are you saying?" Miriah questioned. "Corso just talked to me on the relay, he seemed fine. Hold on," she said, standing to go to her now frantic sister. When they were standing together, Miriah clicked her relay. "Cor, sugar, what's going on there?"

They waited a minute with nothing but slight static, then they heard Corso's whisper. "We were fired upon. Dirtbags are gone now, but just assessing the injured." There was a pause, then "Felix took a bolt to the shoulder, medics have a kolto pack on him now, we're heading back as soon as he's good to move."

Miriah swallowed a sob, trying to be strong for Mags. "Okay, love. Be careful." She turned to her Jedi sister and led her to the sofa. "Felix took a blaster bolt to the shoulder, but Corso said he's almost ready to move out, and they're coming back here. Let's get ready for debriefing, Mags. I'm sure it's not serious if they're moving already." Mags nodded, her tears shining in her eyes, and took Devin from her sister.

"Don't carry him around, Mir, he's too heavy in your condition. I'm putting him in his bed, and I'll bring the monitor to you." She started toward the back of the apartment, and turned to Miriah. "I want to be back home before next week. Deal?" She smiled slightly at Miriah's nod, taking the sleeping boy to his bed. Miriah immediately went to the kitchen, her refuge, and started the caffa machine. When she'd plated some things for them to nibble on, she gathered some basic med supplies and heard the elevator. Magdalane had just returned to the area when apartment door opened.

"Felix!" Mags exclaimed, and ran to her wounded husband, her force aura already growing, the light hard to look at in its intensity. Miriah looked at the others, grabbing her mother's hand and going on tiptoe to kiss Corso's cheek, then moving to Maura with a hug, and when she got to Aric she stopped.

"Aric, sit here, there's glass all over you, you're bleeding." He sat without a word, and Maura began to unbutton his dress coat, the tiny shards tinkling against the tile floor. Maura held his hands in hers as Miriah teased the tiny slivers out of his ears and head.

"So," Magdalane said, her aura still fading from healing Felix, "what happened in that ballroom?"

Aric spoke, maintaining his stillness as Miriah worked on him. "We had just sat down to eat when the doors at our end of the room flew open. The six were scattered around the room, but there wasn't anything unusual until then. There were four with blaster rifles, one with an assault cannon. Military grade, if not issued. No fatalities, minimal casualties, and when the smoke cleared, all of the six were gone." He continued to stare blankly at his wife, stunned at the suddenness of the attack and so very thankful she was unhurt. "Garza put the entire spaceport on lockdown, but you know they're so far underground by now that we'll never see them." Miriah had tweezed all the visible shards out and was applying kolto gel to Aric's head.

"Felix took that bolt for me," Sarai said suddenly. "I was in the path, too shocked to move, my Jedi training forgotten. Felix grabbed me, put himself between me and the gunmen, and got us both behind the table." She turned to her son in law. "Thank you, Felix. I owe you."

"You owe me nothing, Mom. I'm just glad we're here, safe and whole." He accepted her grateful hug, noticing that she seemed tired.

"Well, since you didn't get dinner, let me put something together for us," Miriah said, and immediately was bombarded by the protests of the group. Maura's voice finally came through the others.

"Miriah, after the week you've had, please, just let us take care of you for a bit. I know it's hard for you, but it makes us feel better. You too, Maggie. " She kissed Aric's cheek and stood, only to be pulled down again.

"Let's just order something. We all need a break," Aric said, his eyes finally coming to life in his tired face. "Personally, I'm ready to see this mission done and over. Anyone else?" Every adult in the room raised their hand high above their head, and that was enough to break the tension. Aric stood and pulled open the drawer with the takeout menus, tossing them on the table. "I'm going to change, you guys decide. I'm good with whatever's hot and plentiful." Maura led him, wanting to be more comfortable as well. When they entered their room, Maura turned to face her husband, finding him right behind her waiting for her attention. He caught her in a hard hug.

"So very, very glad that we're back here," he whispered in her hair, feeling her nod against his shoulder. "I'm going to agree with Miriah on this, we need to be back on Dantooine."

Maura gently pulled back from Aric and sighed, "I agree, too. Let's see what we can do about that tomorrow. Tonight, lets change and go eat with everyone, and later I can kiss those wounds for you." She smiled at him, and he leaned in to kiss her.

"Promise?" he asked, and grinned when she nodded.

Miriah was still sitting with Corso, taking comfort in his arm around her shoulders, when she heard Devin start to whimper through the monitor. She was rising to go to him when Magdalane's voice stopped her.

"Wait, Mir," she said, her aura flaring again. Miriah sat again, watching her sister. "There," Mags said, "that should help some. I just used our link to tell him you were here and safe, and wanted him to rest. Hopefully that will help you both."

Corso had been quiet since they'd returned, and now Miriah turned to him. "What are you puzzling over, sugar?" she asked.

"Why take them there? Why not do it while they were arriving, or even yesterday? Why wait until they were in a public place? And if the people who took them know who it is they want, why take all six? Are they all involved somehow?" He sighed, and laid his head on the back of the couch.

"All of the above, I'm thinking,"Aric replied, leading Maura over to the group. "Actually, I think taking them from the dinner was intentional, it was a message. Now, as to who took them, the message can differ. If it was Republic troops, which seems highly unlikely, the message could be 'you can't bring this crap onto our turf' kind of thing. If it was part of some Imperial cell, it could be 'even in your silly social settings, we can do what we want.' I think it's significant that no one was killed or even seriously injured." He sat and pulled Maura into his lap, where she giggled at his impulsiveness.

Felix slowly nodded, thinking. "I believe you're right, Aric. It was a show of force, for someone." He absently rubbed his thumb along Mag's hand. "But who?"

"I'm at the point I don't even care anymore. It seems like years since we've been on the ranch, and I'm ready to go home." Miriah put her head on Corso's shoulder, and he kissed her forehead. Their food arrived and they ate, laughing and chatting. It was only after they'd cleared away the debris that Felix sat up straight, getting the attention of the group.

"Has anyone seen Garza since all this? I mean, we were told the spaceport was on lockdown, but not by her. Has anyone actually put eyes on her?" He looked around at the shaking heads, and focused on Sarai. "Mom, did you talk to her at the event?"

"No," the tiny Jedi replied. "I saw her when we were going in, but didn't see her after that. She was talking to the security force there." She walked over to the glass doors to the balcony, looking out at the city. "I wonder if she was behind it?"

Aric was thinking along those same lines, and pulled out his holo. His call to the general went to her message service, and he disconnected without leaving one. "Mom, you know her better than any of us. Would she do this? Make a public spectacle in order to send a message?"

"She might," Sarai responded. "She was in love with Jurin, and they damaged and then killed him. She's been here several times when all I could feel from her was despair and anger. She just might have done this." She walked over and sat with Miriah. "She feels terribly guilty, too, about your ship and the fact that you had to make an emergency escape while pregnant and trying to get Jurin some help."

The group was quiet while they contemplated this latest twist. Finally, Corso stood, and held his hand out to Miriah. "Ready for some rest, darlin'?" he asked her, and she nodded and took his hand to stand. They made their way to their room, and when they were inside, Miriah launched herself into her husband's arms.

"So glad you're okay, sugar. I hate this place, being in this position. Even if we have to go commercially, I'm ready to get home," she told him, hiccupping a little from holding in tears.

"Shh sweetheart, I know. I'm ready, too," he told her, rocking her against him, her nearness and scent and warmth all serving to stir his blood. He knew she was tired, and wouldn't ask for anything she wasn't up to, but instead of indulging himself, he gently put her on the bed and backed up. Her expression told him she was disappointed but he was more concerned about her and the baby than himself. "Don't give me that look, darlin'. You barely rested last night." Her luminous silver eyes never left his, and he could feel his resolve weakening when he heard the door chime.

Sarai was still up and answered the door to General Garza. "Hello, my friend," Sarai told the other woman, whose weary face gave nothing away.

"Gather the others, Sarai. We all need to talk," she said, her eyes downcast and sad. Sarai went to the hallway, knocking on doors and getting everyone back out into the common room. Garza waited until they were settled, Magdalane with Ian in her arms.

"First, we have the six people who knew about your flight home in custody. Yes, it was us that did that, and I'm so sorry that you were injured, Felix." She saw the former soldier nod at her, and continued. "I wanted to make a public spectacle of them, hoping to flush any others out. I daresay we've encountered a cell, one that's been around for a while." She sat heavily, her emotions clear on her face. "They killed Gregor, they endangered you all. No more," she said, the anger in her voice resonating.

"So now we have these people, have any others been identified or has there been any attempt to free them?" Aric asked. He was watching Garza closely, concerned about her but also not entirely trusting. "I would guess that their whereabouts have been 'leaked', right?"

"There's been no attempt to contact them so far, but we'll keep tabs on that. What I'd like to ask of you all is that you give me forty-eight hours before you go back to Dantooine. That's all, I promise." She looked at the Advantages group, that she so depended on for military ops planning, and felt their reluctance. She couldn't blame them, after the past few weeks. She felt relief flood her when she saw Aric's slight nod, and then Corso's agreeing nod. "Thank you, all. I will keep in touch, but I must go." Sarai walked with her to the door, and hugged her friend.

"Stay strong, Helena. Let me know if you need my help," the Jedi told the general.

The rest of the group silently made their way back to their rooms, thoughtful about what Garza had revealed. Aric pulled Maura to him once they'd gotten in bed, but couldn't turn off his thoughts. Maura noticed, and finally asked him.

"Sweetheart, there's nothing to think over. Let her take care of it, and relax," she told him, kissing his jawline. He shifted to stroke her hip, her responding hum further distracting him.

"I know, honey, I should. I meant what I wrote to you from aboard the rescue ship. I want to show you more often that I love you, and I always will," he told her. Her grin told him he'd answered correctly, and he covered her mouth with his, feeling her response. So very lucky, he thought.

Felix was bending over the cradle, checking on Ian, while Magdalane watched her men together. "I hate that you got injured, love," she told him, "I should have been there."

"No, you were where you were supposed to be, with the children. It was nothing, collateral damage at most. Besides, I was slow, unprepared. Been out of things for a bit and let my guard down. That won't happen again," he told her, straightening and crossing the room to where she sat on the bed. He took her in his arms, reassuring her that he was fine, that her force healing had him in good shape. Mags snuggled there, grateful that his injury was minimal and that her family was intact.

Miriah left Corso in the kitchen, gathering up a snack, and he found her soaking in the tub, her long hair piled on her head, up to her neck in the fragrant water. He sat on the floor beside her, just to be near her. She opened one eye and smiled at him. "Glad you're back here, sugar," she whispered.

"Me, too," he said softly, leaning over to kiss her nose. "I don't want to talk about Garza or the Imps, or this mission."

"No talking. I didn't have talking in mind, either, sugar." She slowly rose from the steaming water and, water dripping from her body, reached for him. He readily went to her, not minding being wet because he knew it would only be seconds until her skin was on his, her mouth on his. Kissing her, he reached up and let her long hair fall around her shoulders, halfway down her back, the heavy silk brushing against his now bare chest as she peeled the rest of his clothing away.

Sarai sat in the now darkened living room, feeling all the emotions in the apartment. Silent tears streaked down her face as she thought of Helena losing a love, and wondered to herself why she'd never even thought of another since Ian's death so many years ago. She tried to take comfort in the knowledge that her daughters were well loved, but she still felt the emptiness. She was still meditating when the rest of the family fell asleep. Even sleeping, I can feel Miriah, she thought, and for the first time that evening, smiled.


	35. Chapter 35

Miriah was awake, again, but this time it was nightmares. Her ship, her beloved home for many years, was gone and she felt its loss in her soul. She shifted against her husband, who was sleeping deeply, and sighed. Now what do we do, she wondered. It was the first time she'd dwelled on the loss, and even though she knew there were lucky to have escaped, a part of her identity was gone. She could buy another, she knew that, but would she? She closed her eyes and tried to settle and rest, but for the first time in a week, she wasn't tired. At least Devin is sleeping, she thought. She lay there and finally realized what she was. She was angry. Angry at the situation, at the cell that had tried and almost succeeded in killing her and her family. Angry at Garza, even. Just plain mad as hell, she thought. Now, what am I gonna do about it? She smoothed her hands down her belly, silently hoping Logan would not be affected by her emotions like Devin was. Corso stirred at her movement, and sleepily blinked at her.

"Wha's wrong, kitten? Need to sleep," he mumbled, his eyes already closing. She put her head on his shoulder and felt his strong arms around her. She was still angry, but the nearness of her beloved soothed her mind, his abundant warmth soothed her body, and she could feel the tension draining away as she closed her eyes.

Aric had come to the same conclusion about his own feelings, after loving his wife and letting her sleep. He held Maura close, but his mind just wouldn't stop thinking about why all this had happened. One of the cuts on his ear still stung, and it just served to fuel his anger. From the time the shuttle carrying Numen Brock exploded and killed not only him but the Republic squadron that had him in custody, Aric felt they'd been toyed with by this cell of Imps. No more, he thought. It's time to draw a line, right here. Once he'd resolved to not be deceived any longer, he was able to relax. He felt himself getting drowsy, and smiled as he smelled Maura's hair, drawing her closer. She felt him softly kiss her forehead, and she snuggled to him.

At breakfast, Aric spoke about what he'd figured out during the night. "I finally realized, last night, that we've been led around by the nose long enough. Now, it's going to be the Advantages way or no way. I'm tired of being bait." He looked around the table, and saw Miriah nodding.

"I agree. I realized last night that I was just plain mad about it all." She looked at Corso and saw when he realized she'd been thinking about this when he woke with her. "So, where do we go from here?"

"Home, tomorrow," Aric replied, getting excited murmurs of agreement from the group. "Mags, are you and Ian up to the trip?"

"Absolutely," she replied, holding Felix's hand in hers. "I can go right now if you want." The sisters giggled. Mags was notorious for her meticulous planning, but her willingness to leave on the spot said something to them.

"Then let's spend the day resting and relaxing, and then go home in the morning." Aric turned to Maura, "Sound good?" He smiled when Maura pulled him to her and kissed his cheek.

"Perfect, hon," Maura said. She stood to go to the twins, where the children were playing. Devin and Colin were playing with their pod racers, Calleigh was singing softly to her stuffed bear, and Michi was putting pieces into a puzzle board built for little hands. Maura had to smile, they were all so precious. Suddenly Devin's head came up, his eyes became worried, and he headed toward the others.

"Miriah, heads up," Maura called over her shoulder. Miriah looked and saw her son making a beeline to the group, but instead of his mother, his usual target, the little boy went to Magdalane.

"What is it, little one?" she asked, seeing his worried expression. She lifted the little boy into her lap, looking into his eyes. "Something, he senses something. Not of us, but outside. Close. A threat to his mom." She looked quickly at the group. "What is going on?"

Corso was instantly on alert. " I see nothing on the security video but the detail. It's a different detail than last night, but I would expect that." He went to the other side of the room, picked up his sniper rifle, and handed Miriah her gunbelt. "We're full charged, ready for whatever is out there." Aric had retrieved his assault cannon and stood ready, but Mags was shaking her head.

"No one is going to charge through the door, guys. I only meant that there is someone out there putting out enough anger through the force that Devin can feel it, and he's afraid for his mother. That's all."

"Still, better to be armed than not," Corso said, his face a grim mask. He bent and picked up his son from Mag's lap, hugging him tightly. "Thanks, little man, we'll keep Mama safe, okay? You go with the other children, where you'll be safe too." The little boy clung to his father, and Corso murmured to him, wanting the child to feel safe but wanting him to be wary as well. He put Devin in his mom's lap then, and Devin hugged her tightly.

Aric crossed to the holo and almost immediately Garza's image was before him. "Verify the unit that's on guard detail at the moment here," he asked. Her reply was clipped as she consulted her datapad.

"That would be Delta One, Jorgan. You know the CO, Major Reebo."

Aric laughed to himself, he did indeed know "Bubbles" Reebo. "We've decided that we'll be leaving in the morning, General. I'm sorry to bust your timeline, but we're all ready to get home." He saw the sadness in her eyes, but also the resignation. She knew they wouldn't change their plans.

"Very well. I will meet you at the spaceport then, unless I get up there before too late this evening. Garza out."

"So, we know we're being looked after by qualified people. Major Reebo is an old Ord buddy, you might know him too, Corso." Aric crossed over to the group. "Maybe I should go tell him to be extra vigilant, that our force users have felt something." Miriah nodded at him, and before Maura could stop him, he was out the door. Corso turned to his wife, still holding their son.

"Mir, take him and the other children into the back, farthest away from the door, and stay with them there." She started to protest, but the look on his face stopped her. It was a look of pleading, with sadness and concern mixed in his eyes. She gathered the children and they made a game of marching in a line to the back of the apartment.

Maura spoke softly to Corso. "It's okay, Corso, " she told him. "We're all here, all working together. " He nodded to her, but was still on guard. He decided to check on Miriah, and walked to the back of the apartment. When he entered Sarai's room, which was the most distant point to the door of the apartment, he saw Magdalane feeding Ian, and Miriah reading to the other children. Devin looked up at his father and grinned, making Corso relax. If Devin was smiling, things were okay, right? Miriah's loose hair shone in the sunlight streaming through the window, Devin on one of her knees and Calleigh on the other, Colin lying on the floor pushing a truck but with his head on Miriah's foot. Michi stood at her shoulder, her tiny arm draped around her aunt's neck. Home, Corso thought. We need to be home, I can keep her safe at home. As if she'd read his thoughts, she turned her silver eyes to his and smiled.

Aric found his old drinking buddy and slapped him hard on the shoulder. "Bubbles, how are ya?" he said, grinning at the man.

"Doing well, Jorgan," Major Reebo responded. "See you all got a bit of trouble, eh?" He turned to look at the detail, who presented an imposing scene to anyone approaching the apartment complex.

"Just doing Garza's stuff, as usual. Thought that was over when we gave up our commissions, but we were wrong." They laughed together, and chatted. Soon Aric rejoined the group in the apartment, where the children were napping and all was quiet. Miriah and Maura had almost totally packed their equipment, and Corso had all their gear in trunks, stacked neatly in the corner of the workroom. "Wow, you all work fast when you want something. I have to remember that," he laughed, dodging Miriah's hand as she reached to swat his arm. Corso was watching her, making sure she didn't lift anything she shouldn't be, and laughed at them.

"Let's go sit, we have all day to do this," Maura said, and when they got to the sofa saw Mags and Ian there. "Let me have him for a bit, " she said, holding her arms out to her sister. Ian was awake, his eyes changing from their newborn blue to a light brown, gazing around. "So you know for sure Ian is force sensitive?"

"Yes," Magdalane said, smiling at her son. "I can feel his force presence. He's too young to do much with it, but he can feel me." Felix joined them, having put Michi in her bed.

"Mags, how do I deal with Devin and his sudden awareness of his force power? I mean, can he feel all the things you can?" Miriah asked her oldest sister, and with a blush, turned her eyes to her husband.

"No, he can feel the emotions, and knows whether they're happy or sad, but that's all. I sincerely doubt he's worried as long as you're happy. You know, he'll lose a little of this when he grows a little more aware of the world around him, it's just that he's so young and open right now."

"Well, we'd appreciate it greatly if you'd start working with him when you think he's ready," Corso said, taking Miriah's hand in his own. She gently squeezed his, knowing he was as confused about their son's force awareness as she was. He absently rubbed his thumb on her hand, making her delight in his touch.

"See? That right there? He would know that you both were happy, but since he has no point of reference for sensuality yet, that's all he could know," Mags laughed, seeing the blush on her sister's face. "And of course, I'll start with him. You don't have to be afraid, I promise," she said, feeling their apprehension.

Sarai brought in some cheesecake and caffa, Felix behind her with a large bowl of cut fruit, and they snacked and talked, about home and future projects. "I'll finish packing the kitchen after dinner, shouldn't take too long," Sarai told them. "It'll be nice to get back to my little house, I've missed it. Miriah, how are you feeling?"

"Good," she told her mother. "No nausea at all, which is surprising given that I'm still in the first weeks." She unconsciously smoothed her hand down her middle, something that made Corso smile. "And Devin slept all night." She didn't mention the nightmare, or missing her ship.

"It's going to cost Garza a fortune to ship all this gear back to Dantooine," Aric said. "I've booked our passage aboard the first transport, four cabins so the kiddos will bunk with us, no other way for us all to be on the same ship." They nodded, and Felix started packing the toys that were in the corner, smiling at the thought of being home.

They ordered dinner, and it turned into a large affair, with Elara coming to see them off with Jay Blessing, along with Diedre and Paolo who were leaving as well. The apartment was filled with laughter and voices, and through it all the children had a blast. Devin had no recurrence of his earlier fear, and when they were all in bed, Miriah sighed with relief. The sisters sat in the living room over a cup of tea, Sarai already in bed.

"Maura, are you glad the senate candidacy is over?" Mags asked.

"Very," Maura replied. "I hate being on display, but this mission has surely forced me to do things I never thought I'd do, for sure. Aric has been my rock, but I wouldn't have made it without you guys." She nudged Miriah, who giggled.

"Where are the guys, anyway?" Mags asked, then saw Felix with his brothers in law come through the apartment door, flowers in their hands. "What's going on?" she asked, but smiled at the sight. Felix held peach colored roses, while Aric held pink ones and Corso held light lavender ones. They crossed the room to their wives, and while they all spoke, Corso only had eyes for Miriah.

"It's late, cyare, but I wanted our last night here to be a good one," he told her, handing her the flowers. "There's a vase for them in our room." He bent to kiss her, and she pulled him close, laying the flowers on the sofa to put both arms around his neck. They kissed, and when they had to breathe, Corso told her he loved her, he always would, and that he was so happy with their family growing. The third time they broke to breathe, they realized they were alone in the room, and Miriah took her beautiful flowers and led her husband to their bed.

The next morning, amid all the confusion of getting the children up and fed and ready to leave, sending shipping instructions to Garza's office, and Miriah's slight nausea, they finally made their way down to the taxi stand. Corso carried Devin, his smiling face all Miriah needed to know things were good with her oldest son. As they all departed the taxis and made their way into the spaceport, Major Jay Blessing met the group. "Sorry to interrupt, but can you all come with me?" Aric looked at Corso, who looked at Felix.

"What is going on here?" Aric asked, putting Calleigh down to stand with her mother.

"I just have orders to bring your group to Hangar Twenty-four," Blessing said, and shrugged. Aric frowned but when Corso nodded, they proceeded to the indicated hangar. When they'd arrived, they saw General Garza outside the closed hangar door.

"Advantages, so glad so see you all, and thank you for all you've done for me, for us. It's been an eventful few months, and this is the only way I can think of to make up for your losses here." She moved aside and motioned to the soldier standing at the door. The large, heavy metal doors started to open, and when they were fully retracted, the shining ship on the other side took Miriah's breath.

"Oh my, " she said. "That's 'Dancer's much younger sister, Cor. Isn't it beautiful?" Miriah took a few reverent steps toward the ship, then stopped. "It's very beautiful, General."

"Why are we here?" Aric said, giving Garza a puzzled look.

"This is Miriah's new ship. The registry is all set, the paperwork aboard on the bridge. You can contact the ministry's office when you decide on a name. I owed you a ship, but I couldn't find the same model," the general said, looking at the group. Corso let Devin slide down his leg, taking the little boy's hand.

"It's mine? Really?" Miriah was incredulous. She'd loved the Stardancer, but this, this ship was amazing.

"It really is," Garza said, "With the thanks of the Senate and the Republic Army. Corellian Shipworks just delivered it last night." At her words, her assistant approached.

Devin looked at Magdalane and tried to get her attention, but everyone was so focused on the new shiny ship. He tugged on his dad's pants leg, but was ignored. He watched his mother walking toward that man, the one who wanted to hurt her and he charged.

Miriah was walking toward Garza's assistant to get the data pad he was holding, when a streak passed her, small in size but moving so fast she didn't realize it was her son at first. Devin hit the assistant in the knees, and because he had no other weapon, bit into the man's leg as hard as he could.

The assistant screeched and started to shake his leg to rid himself of whatever was piercing it. It was then that Magdalane lifted the now pale and swearing man, Devin letting go of his leg and dropping to the deck of the hangar, where his mother scooped him up and cuddled him as he babbled.

"Man bad, gonna hurt Mama. Not like him, want him away. Daddy, help!" the little boy sobbed.

"It's fine, sweetie man, I've got you, I'm okay," Miriah told him, looking at the general. "What the void is going on here?"

"I'd like to know that myself," Garza replied, as her assistant of three years dangled from a force hold, kicking and screaming in a decidedly Imperial accent.


	36. Chapter 36

Miriah looked at the man she'd worked with and talked to many times as he dangled, swearing. She turned her son away from him, and walked back toward the group. "General, did this man have anything to do with this ship's order or delivery?"

"I'm sure he knew about it, and I'm already thinking the way you are. I will contact Corellian Shipworks and have their chief engineer here this evening to go over it inch by inch," she said. Garza turned to Major Blessing. "Major, take this creature into custody once Master Magdalane releases him, and no one talks to him until I do."

"Understood," Blessing responded, his squad training their weapons on the man. Mags let the force hold drop, and when the assistant landed he tried to sprint. The butt of Blessing's rifle stopped him cold, and they dragged the now unconscious man to HQ.

"I know it wasn't your plan, but would you stay at least until I can have your ship checked out?" Garza looked anxiously from Aric to Corso, and then to Miriah.

"I would love the opportunity to drive her," Miriah said, "but it's up to everyone to decide. I can always retrieve her later." Miriah was almost salivating over the idea of piloting the sleek vessel in front of her, and she wasn't hiding it well. She looked at her mom and saw a grin start on her face. When she looked at Maura, that same grin was there on her face, too. Mags saw them, and started to smile as well, when Aric burst out laughing.

"Of course, we'll wait," he said. "Besides, I'd like to see that creep's interrogation, if I may, General?"

"Absolutely," Garza replied, already moving toward the military headquarters. "Give him a few hours to contemplate what his fate might be, and I'll give you a call when I head down there." She briskly walked away, leaving the group at loose ends.

"Well, let's go back. The droids haven't taken our gear yet, and our clothes are here. We can.." Corso stopped talking when he saw Miriah stumble toward the public refresher. "Go ahead, guys. I'll get Miriah back when she can handle it. Devin, can you go with Nana and let me and Mama come in a few minutes?" The little boy grinned and nodded, taking his grandmother's hand. The group left for the apartment, and Corso sat on a bench where he could see the refreshers. After a few minutes, Miriah came out, pale and decidedly unhappy. Corso rushed to her and took her in his arms, feeling her tremble.

"I don't know if it's the roller coaster emotions, or the hormones, but that was not fun," she said, burying her face in her husband's chest. He held her there for a moment, then turned with her and slowly started walking her to the taxi stand. By the time he'd spoken to the droid there, she was a little steadier and not as pale. Corso gently rubbed her neck as she leaned against him in the taxi, his warm hands massaging the knots there. She sighed, relaxing against him, and was getting drowsy when they landed next to the apartment complex.

"Let's go up, cyar'ika, and you can rest there," his deep voice rumbled in her ear. She let him lift her down from the taxi speeder and they went to the apartment. When they arrived, all was calm. Ian was sleeping, the kids playing with their newly unpacked toys. When Devin saw his parents, he grinned and waved, but didn't rush to them as he would have the day before. Corso led Miriah to their room and sat beside her as she got comfortable. Her eyes were closed and he was about to leave her when she spoke.

"Cyar'ika, what does that one mean again?" she mumbled.

"Sweetheart," he told her, giving her a gentle kiss.

"I like it," she smiled, and he kissed her again. He left her once she drifted to sleep, to check on Devin and see what he might need to do. Devin was still playing and Maura was with Sarai in the kitchen. He joined them there, and asked if he could help.

"No, son, we're just putting together something from what we had left here. No need to bring in supplies for one night, and we'd cleared out the leftovers before we left this morning. Miriah is resting?" Sarai was concerned but knew her daughter was in good hands.

"She is, and I think it will help. I know this part of pregnancy must be awful, but I also remember my mother telling me that a healthy pregnancy always has some sickness with it." He sat at the table, and Aric joined him there.

"I'm surprised Spitfire can sleep with that beauty of a ship being hers," he grinned. "Man, it's a sight."

"I hate that she's having to go through this, but I know Logan is worth it. She'd say so, too." He looked over at Devin, happily playing with the others. "How did he know? And did he use the force for speed? I looked down and he was just a blur."

"He did use force speed," Sarai said, "and Magdalane trusted his instincts enough to act on his initiative. Otherwise, the louse might have been able to get away. Your son," she pointed at Corso, "is very strong in the force. I am predicting that both he and Ian will follow their grandfather's footsteps and become knights of the Order." Corso had a look of wonder on his face as he contemplated this thought.

Magdalane put Ian in his cradle, and thought back on the morning. Devin, she thought, is more connected than even I suspected, and I need to start working with him, helping him understand the force and how to use and control it. Although, she laughed to herself, he seems to have a good bit of control already. She stretched out on the bed, thinking she'd just close her eyes for a few minutes, but the activity of the morning combined with the multiple times she'd been up with the baby the night before, and she slipped into a peaceful sleep.

Corso went to get Miriah when lunch was ready, and at his gentle kisses she opened her eyes. "Come, darlin', let's get a little hot food in you, okay?" She nodded, still drowsy, and sat on the side of the bed. Corso put her arm around her waist, steadying her, and they went into the dining room.

"Wow, you guys did all this with what we'd left?" she asked, amazed at the food on the table. Corso pulled her chair out and when she was seated, he got her a bottle of water and a large glass of juice.

"I read earlier that the nausea can be worse if you're dehydrated, love," he told her, his breath warm on her ear.

"Miriah, at least try to eat a little, even if it's only some soup," Sarai told her. Miriah nodded, and they spent lunch pleasantly.

Aric looked at his younger sister in law and asked, "Any ideas for a ship name yet?"

Miriah shook her head. "Not yet, maybe not til I've had a chance to fly her. Sometimes they tell you what their names are. Stardancer did just that, she danced around in the stars, graceful and light." She shrugged, "I miss her."

"I will, too, but I bet that beauty in the hanger will help you get over her some," Maura teased, getting a giggle from Miriah.

Aric looked at Corso. "Want to go see the interrogation when Garza calls?"

Corso thought about it. He could go see that worm that his son smoked out get grilled by Intelligence and probably not say anything, or he could stay at the apartment and be with his wife and son. "Nah, you go ahead. He's probably not going to tell us anything we don't already know. Honestly, the only thing I care about is getting home." He took Miriah's hand in his and squeezed gently, getting a smile from her.

Magdalane gathered the children before her and gave them their assignments. Calleigh and Devin were to pick up toys, Colin and Michi were to put blankets and pillows on the floor. When they were done, the children lay on the blankets and Mags read to them, her voice soothing them into sleep. The other adults were a little surprised.

"Mags, why haven't you done that before? It was brilliant!" Maura exclaimed. "Calleigh never goes to sleep that easily. Did you use the force on them?

"No, silly, no force necessary. They were tired, I just felt they'd all sleep better in here with all of us present than in their rooms. It's been a little bit traumatic for them to see Devin attack that man. Maura, Calleigh may not be a true force user, but she can sense things very well. She was upset at the thought of Devin being hurt or in trouble. Colin and Michi are truly force blind, but they felt the tension. This just solved the problem of them being out of sight of you all, and also gave them the opportunity to relax." She shrugged. "No magic, just logic." Felix had Ian, his bottle almost gone. "And now for the littlest one," she smiled at her son.

Felix burped him and handed him to his mother with a kiss. "He's the easy one. All he really needs is a full belly and a dry bottom, and Mom."

Aric was restless, pacing the room. Finally Maura told him, "Just go down to the complex, hon. Even if Garza isn't ready to interrogate him, someone will know if he's said or done anything." He bent over his sitting wife, growling softly against her ear.

"Thank you for knowing it's eating me up inside," he said, and he kissed her before he left. The group rested and napped while the children were sleeping, content in being all in the same place. Aric had been gone for a couple of hours when he came back through the door, a look of satisfaction on his face.

Maura saw him first, and knew that look. "He caved? Told everything?" she asked, hope in her voice.

"Not everything, but enough. The security force is out rounding up the ones we didn't know about now. Garza was amazed at Devin being the one who figured him out. I told her that he was coming into his force power, and after being without Miriah for several days, he was very protective of her." He crossed the room and sat with his wife, putting his arm around her shoulders. "It was good to see some closure. It was indeed Castellan restraints they used on Jurin, but they didn't give him the proper dosage or something, that's what caused the memory wipe." Corso and Miriah joined them, listening to Aric's account. "The whole thing centered on being the first to get to Makeb. They had to undercut the Republic influence on Balmorra to do that. Everything dominoed after that." He stretched and grinned at his audience, which now included the entire group. "So, once the ship is checked out, we're ready to head home!" The group cheered, and Miriah found she actually had tears of joy in her eyes. Devin felt her emotion and ran to her. Corso picked him up and he reached for his mom.

"Mama cry. Sad?" he asked her, and smiled when she shook her head.

"No sweetie man, happy. I'm ready to be home," she told him, and laughed when he clapped his little hands.

They decided to order dinner, and have it out on the balcony, in the warm spring evening. The children were happy, running around and enjoying being outside. Miriah was sitting with them, watching them play, when her mother joined her. "Feeling okay now, dear?" she asked.

"I am, " Miriah answered. "I can't wait to fly that ship tomorrow, and I want to sit with my husband in our porch swing and see Akaavi and Cy. I want Devin to feel safe again." Sarai patted her daughter's leg.

"We'll be there soon, and all those things are waiting for us. Helena wanted to visit, said she needed a vacation, so at some point she'll come out. I told her we could play with grandbabies and relax, but now, who knows when she'll get a break?" Sarai closed her eyes in the warm breeze, and used her force to survey the group. Corso was watching the holo with Aric and Felix, but his mind was on Miriah. Aric and Felix were happy, excited to be going home. Maura was tired but calm, anticipating… oh heavens, Maura! Magdalane, oh my goodness, she's on the same thoughts as her sister. She laughed to herself. Miriah was excited to pilot her new ship, but she was being cautiously optimistic. Devin was a pure white light of force energy, so much so that she almost turned her mind away from him, but at the last second, stayed. He felt her, and ran to his grandmother, giving her a quick hug before sprinting away to play again.

Dantooine. Home. It would be wonderful to get there. Soon, she thought.


	37. Chapter 37

Corso stood, Devin on his hip, watching as Miriah walked around the shining new vessel. She would stop and touch parts, run her hand lovingly over the metal, and sigh. Once, she took a hydrospanner out of her pocket and recalibrated something. He had to smile watching her, as Devin put his head on his daddy's shoulder. The little boy had been content and happy since yesterday, Corso thought. He lost himself watching her move, her lithe grace making it seem as if she were dancing instead of walking. He realized that she'd stopped putting her long hair in its ponytail and that thought made him smile again. She finally made her way around the starship and he was brought out of his thoughts at her approach.

"The engineer cleared her, and as far as I can see, she's ready to take off. The others are already aboard, so let's go see our new home away from home," she said, taking Corso's free hand in hers. They made their way up the ramp and into the air lock. Miriah stopped, and just looked around her. "So different, but so the same. The interior is almost identical to Dancer's." She could see Aric, Maura and Sarai in the lounge area from where she stood, and when she turned to Corso, she realized Devin had fallen asleep in his father's arms. "One of the things General Garza had put in the design was children's quarters, where the old armory was. Calleigh and Colin are probably already there." She stood on tiptoe to press a kiss on her son's cheek, but he didn't stir. They'd spent the day waiting on the engineer to check the ship out, and it was now evening. They figured they'd sleep through most of the hyperspace and land on Dantooine late afternoon tomorrow. Miriah joined her sister and mother in the lounge area.

"All ready to go, sister?" Maura asked, seeing Miriah's smile.

"Yep, about to hit the preflight engines now,"Miriah told her. She walked calmly to the bridge, but she had to admit, at least to herself, a little trepidation. The last time she'd flown her own ship, things hadn't gone so well, and it made her double check everything. She held her breath as she hit the switch for preflight engines, and let it out slowly as the six engines hummed to life smoothly. She'd already run the hyperdrive test three times, and stopped herself from running it again. Mags could feel the uncertainty in Miriah's aura and quietly approached the bridge.

"Miriah, what happened to the Stardancer was not your fault. That ship was tampered with. This one has not," she told her youngest sister, seeing the fear in her eyes. "Nothing you did or could do would have prevented what happened," she said softly, putting her hand on Miriah's arm.

"There's just so much precious cargo on this one," Miriah whispered. Magdalane gathered her sister in a hug, knowing she'd rather give her life than risk any of theirs.

"Let's go home, shall we?" Magdalane said, grinning at Miriah. Miriah felt the calming force of her sister infuse her and smiled.

"Yes, it's past time," Miriah answered, and turned to the controls. "Buckle up, gang. I'm releasing the clamps." She'd just sat down in the captain's chair when Corso bounded onto the bridge, taking the left seat and fastening his harness.

"Ready to jet, kitten. Devin is buckled in, and I checked the others on the way up here." Corso put his caffa mug in the holder to his right, and started to power up the navigation system and weapons systems. "Wow, she's so responsive, so quick to be ready to go," he said, and noted her raised eyebrow when he glanced her way, blushing. "She's clearly your ship, Captain," he said with a grin.

Miriah chuckled and they felt the ship sway slightly as it lifted off the deck and away from the magnetic clamps. They made their way smoothly to the hyperlane, Miriah getting used to the different weight and movement of the slightly smaller ship. Once they were in hyperspace, she took her harness off and turned her swivel chair to look at Corso. "I have so many memories, mostly good, of the Dancer and being on her bridge. We kissed for the first time there, were married there." She sighed, "I know we'll make new memories. What is one of your favorites, other than those?"

"Oh, I'd have to say, the time you drank all the champagne, locked the bridge door and did the strip dance on the map," he said, his grin huge. "We were docked on Nar Shaddaa, so those guys had seen it all, but I still had to pay more creds than you knew for the holovid they took." She shook her head in disbelief. "I still have it, by the way, in case we ever need to make some quick money." They laughed, knowing he'd never share anything like that. "Let's go back with the others, cyare." They walked to the lounge area, arms linked, noting the new gadgets in the ship along the way.

Aric was sitting with Maura, Felix with Mags. Sarai had gone to bed, gushing about all the cabin space. "The showers are phenominal, Spitfire. Have you seen your quarters yet?" He laughed when she shook her head. "You guys are gonna love it. Our gear is all stowed away in the compartment in our cabins. Four cabins! Makes the crew quarters smaller, but it works! The medbay is fully stocked too, with one of the new pressurized kolto tanks." He leaned back and put his arm around Maura. "All the cabins are nice. It's an excellent ship."

"It is, and I'm looking forward to getting to know her over the next few weeks," Miriah said. She's quiet, Corso thought, and wondered if she was liking the ship as much as everyone else was. He got up and went to the galley, bringing back some fruit and water, along with a handful of chocolate, for her, making her smile. "Thanks, sugar. I guess I feel a little guilty for being excited over the new ship. If not for the Stardancer getting stolen on Ord Mantell so many years ago, Corso might not be here with me."

"Aww darlin', yeah I would. I knew from the first time I saw you, I'd do anything to leave with you. Skavak just sealed the deal." He grinned at his wife, seeing her relax.

"Mags, you and Felix have been quiet. Everything going okay with you?" Maura asked.

"Oh we're fine, " Felix said. "You know how it is when there's a new baby in the mix. You get a couple hours sleep here and there, and you think you're doing good, then you sit down and get drowsy." They all laughed, remembering when their children were newborns. Magdalane patted Felix's leg.

"Yes, I always mean to sleep through Felix's turn to get up, but Ian's force presence always wakes me. I told Felix he should just let me take care of him since I'm going to be awake anyway, but he insists on being involved." She grinned up at her husband, her love for him shining in her eyes. "On that note, I think I'll retire to my new chambers and rest," she said dramatically, getting laughter from the others. Felix rose and followed her.

"That's a good idea, though, think I'll follow their example," Aric said, pulling Maura up with him. "Come, woman, let's see if this bed is as comfortable as it looks." Maura glanced back over her shoulder and wiggled her eyebrows at Miriah, who giggled.

Corso swept her up in his arms, carrying her to their new quarters. "Wow," Miriah said, seeing the décor. The General had taken her favorite colors and filled her quarters with plush pillows and little things that made the girl in her go soft and gooey. "So pretty. Are you comfortable with all the girly touches?" she asked Corso, seeing him grin at her.

"Darlin', as long as you're happy, I'm happy," he told her, then he kissed her long and hard. She responded by not letting him go, and they tumbled onto the bed, limbs entwined. Their long tradition of loving each other through hyperspace continued, and Miriah hoped this ship was better soundproofed than Dancer was. As they lay resting, Miriah's head on Corso's shoulder, she spoke.

"Really, to get properly acquainted with the ship, we should christen each area just like we did here," she said, giving him a wicked smile. He blushed but ran his hands up her bare back and into her hair, pulling her in and kissing her.

"I live to serve you, darlin'." They didn't sleep for a long while, and even then, Miriah slept little. Her mind listened to every ping and clank of the ship, worried about anything she couldn't readily identify. Finally, she got up and pulled Corso's shirt over her head, needed to settle her mind by checking on the bridge. She was still running systems checks when Corso stumbled onto the bridge, rubbing sleepy eyes.

"Cyar'ika, everything okay?" he asked, leaning over her to kiss her head.

"It is, I guess I'm still just nervous about things," she told him, shrugging. "Maybe if I had.."

"No, darlin', nothing you could have done. You know that as well as I do." He sat in the other chair, watching his wife work through those thoughts. "It's late, or rather, early. Let's go back to bed, eh?"

She pulled her long hair away from her face, stretching her arms over her head. "I suppose we could. Or," she said, turning her silver eyes to his, "we could continue christening the ship, here." She left her own chair to sit in his lap, and his attention was no longer on rest.

Magdalane put Ian in his cradle and slipped back into their bed. Felix opened sleep eyes and pulled her close. "Everything okay, love?" he asked.

"Fine, just the usual. Oh, but don't go to the bridge in the morning, okay?" Her eyes closed and she fell asleep, leaving Felix to wonder what she meant.

Aric was the first awake, even before the children, and went to the galley to start the caffa. He noticed the bridge door closed as he passed, but didn't think much of it. He'd filled his mug and grabbed a couple of muffins as he strolled to the lounge area to sit, just as the bridge door slid open and Miriah shot through, her hair wildly tangled and wearing Corso's shirt. Aric just stared until Corso came through the open door, wearing a sheepish grin and nothing else, and made his way to their quarters.

Great, Corso thought. If anyone had to see, it just had to be Aric. He joined Miriah in the shower, and they had a good laugh over the look on Aric's face. "He won't say anything,"Miriah said.

"Yeah, sure he won't," grumbled Corso, squeezing water out of his dreadlocks.

"Are you sorry?" Miriah asked, putting her hands on his chest and making his breathing speed up.

"Hell no," Corso said with a grin. "I'd go again right now if I weren't so hungry. You're my personal trainer, darlin', no way I didn't burn a pound or two off last night." She laughed, the sound music to his ears. She was finally relaxing, feeling more comfortable with her new ship, he thought.

They all met for breakfast, the children already sitting and chatting amongst themselves. Michi was singing, her words getting clearer every day, and Colin and Devin were clapping for her. Calleigh was trying to fix the golden curls that bounced everywhere, when Miriah stopped to help her, using one of her old ties to make a pony tail. Calleigh smiled her thanks and sat, waiting for breakfast. Sarai was cooking, and the air was filled with good smells and high spirits. They all remained that way until they entered Dantooine's orbit. At that point the anticipation was making everyone jittery.

Miriah settled the new ship in the hangar and flipped the switch to the engines. "Not bad for her maiden voyage," she said, and Corso heard the happiness in her voice. Akaavi and Cy met the ship with repulsor sleds to offload gear, and hugs all around for those aboard. Miriah walked to the hangar door, looking out over the lush green of the pasture and seeing their house on the rise. So very good to be home, she thought, and felt Devin hug her leg.

"Home!," he said. "An' Kaavi here, Mama. Rontos. Home!" He was excitedly pulling on her hand, ready to be in his house.

Mags and Felix had their speeder loaded, and each hugged Miriah. "It was an excellent flight, and a beautiful ship, Miriah. Thanks for getting us here safely, " Mags told her, and returned her smile. "We'll be in touch, maybe not tomorrow but the next day." Miriah nodded her understanding and took Devin's hand, walking to the house, her other hand covering her middle. Akaavi saw, and gasped.

"You are with child! I should have seen it sooner!" The Mandalorian hugged her friend, happy for her.

"It's a boy, his name is Logan," Miriah told Akaavi.

"A fine name, for sure. Now what else has changed since you went away?"

"Well, Devin has embraced his force sensitivity. He's started to use it more and more, so Mags and Mom.."

"Wait. Our Dev? A Force user?"

"He is, Akaavi. More than I ever realized or thought he'd be." They went to the house, Devin talking the whole time.

Miriah knew that someone had been cleaning as she stepped inside. The fresh flowers and the scent of laundry detergent lingered, and she smiled. "Thank you, Akaavi. C2 was invaluable to us on Coruscant, but it's so nice to come home to clean."

"I've cooked, too, so you can relax and tell us stories," Akaavi replied. Sarai had already sped off, Aric and Maura too.

Home, Miriah thought. It's so good to be home. Corso grinned at her from across the room, and she felt settled.


	38. Chapter 38

Maura woke to the sounds of giggling children. She smiled, closing her eyes again and snuggling into Aric's warmth. "Can't we just stay here today?" she whispered, hearing Aric's grunt of approval.

"Wish we could, seems like years since we've been home," he murmured. He took his good morning kiss, lingering for more. Maura pushed him away, giggling.

"They're hungry, honey. Let me get them fed and maybe we can sneak back here in a bit," she said, as Calleigh rounded the doorway.

"Mom, can we have pancakes?" the little girl asked, hopping around, already too energetic for Maura to follow. She left without an answer, and her parents chuckled.

"I've got this, sweetheart," Aric told her, "you stay here and rest, I'll bring you some breakfast." Maura grinned. "And maybe then I'll have found something intriguing for the twins," he said, bending to kiss her. She laughed as she heard him lead his children down the stairs, a song he'd taught them from his childhood in full voice. I wonder if we'll ever get to have more, she thought. I'd like them, but I'm happy with our family, too. She drifted back to sleep, thinking of babies.

Miriah was thinking of babies, too, specifically the one making her sick at the moment. She'd just made her way back into the kitchen, where Corso and Devin were having breakfast, something she didn't think she could do, at least right now. She took some icy cold water from the cooler and joined them, trying to smile at them both. Devin reached out to her, and she took his little hand. Instantly, she felt the nausea recede, and it shocked her.

"Dev, did you make mama feel better?" she asked her son, peering at him intently. She couldn't see an aura, like Magdalane had, but she definitely felt better. His smile got larger as he nodded at her, and she turned those silver eyes to Corso. "He really did, the second he touched me, I was better."

"He was concerned when you got up and rushed out, so it makes sense he'd make you better if he could." Corso was impressed with his son, but tried to make it just part of their lives. Miriah knew that was the right approach, but she still was in wonder at Devin's force use. "Let Magdalane know, though. She'll be the only one who can understand it." He leaned over to kiss Miriah. "He loves you, kitten. I do, too. So much." He took her hand. "Want me to make you something to eat now?" She shook her head.

"No, I'm going to take it easy for a little longer." She sipped the water, feeling it soothe her throat. Devin took his piece of toast and held it out to her.

"Mama, eat now. No more bad," he told her, his eyes meeting hers. She took the toast and nibbled on the corner of it, making him smile. "Love Mama," he said, finishing his breakfast and clapping when she finished hers, too.

Magdalane watched as Michi gently hugged her infant brother and kissed him on his head. "Thank you, Michi, that was very sweet." The little girl's smile lit her whole face at her mother's words, and she was still watching the baby when Felix came to get her, breakfast being ready. Mags followed, Ian in her arms. Felix took him and pulled the chair out for his wife, Michi already busily eating. Felix put a full plate of food in front of his wife, and sat across from her. "He's almost asleep, hon, let me put him in his cradle and you can eat as well." Felix shook his head.

"He's only this little for a short time more. I want to enjoy it," he told her, smiling at his son. "When Michi was this small, we were still trying to figure out why she cried so much. I remember going to Miriah's house, and she made you go sleep while she tried the new bottles." He watched what he thought of as his girls enjoy their food, laughing and Michi babbling, while Ian slept. It was so good to be back home, he mused, in their own house. He saw Mags glance up at him with a wondering look, and told her what he was thinking. "I'd like to take Michi out and play for a bit, then after lunch, while she's napping, I'd like to spend some time with you." His warm brown eyes met her own vivid green ones, and she felt the electricity between them.

"That sounds like a pretty perfect day," she said, smiling at him.

Miriah sent a message to Mags, telling her about Devin's force heal, and she turned the datapad off. She wanted a day free of obligation, of communication other than with her son and her husband. She walked to the back deck and saw them crossing the pasture to the barn, Devin riding on Corso's broad shoulders. So content to just be out here, she thought, they're truly so alike. She crossed to the deck chair and got comfortable in the weak, early spring sun. She was warm and relaxed in minutes, and her pregnant body took over once again. Corso grinned as he and Devin made their way up the rise to the house an hour later, and he told his son to be quiet, Mama was sleeping.

Devin was down for a nap when Miriah woke to her husband lifting her up to take her inside. "You're too fair to stay out in this sun for long, cyare," he told her as he put her on their bed. "Besides, I'd rather nap with you than by myself." He pulled her close, smelling the grass and sunlight in her hair, and they both enjoyed their quiet day.

It wasn't until they were in their swing, dusk growing darker, that either of them mentioned the office. "I guess we should get back in the office tomorrow," Corso said with a sigh, "but this has been an incredible day."

"Sure has, sugar. But you're right, we have a dozen or more ops coming up for Garza. Do you think she'll really take a vacation at some point?" Miriah was absently rubbing her middle.

"Who knows? I guess she might, especially after her assistant appears to be an Imp. That might get her a little break." Corso moved her hair to kiss her under her ear, grinning when she shivered in response. He moved his hands through her hair, feeling her relax against him. "I sure hope the others have had as good a day as we had," he said, and felt her nod against his hands.

Aric had spent the afternoon playing with his children, but he intended to spend the evening playing with his wife. He'd pushed the swings a thousand times, chased Colin for a good mile, and had pretend tea with Calleigh and her stuffed kath hound. He deserved some Maura time, he thought, and the thought made him smile. He spotted her as she went up the stairs, and grabbed a bottle of wine and some glasses before he made his way up as well. He found her in the tub, which was unusual for her. He approached her, and saw that she was smiling.

"Mir was right, this is a little slice of wonderful," she said, and he could hear the relaxed tone of her voice. "I never figured I'd like it, but it's really nice." Miriah had given her some bath salts and candles some time ago, and she'd dug them out to use tonight. "What did you bring me, handsome?"

He grinned and put the glasses on the counter, opening the wine. "I figured since we finally have some time alone today, I'd make the most of it." He handed her a glass and sipped his own. "This has been an exceptional day. I guess we're back in the office tomorrow, Garza's probably sent a few hundred updates today." He sat on the floor beside the tub, watching Maura as she sipped her wine and luxuriated in the hot, fragrant water.

"Mmmhmm," she responded. "Garza can have you tomorrow, but tonight, you're mine," she told him, seeing the lust spike in his eyes.

"I'm yours always, Maura. You know that, right?" he murmured.

"I do, love, I do." She stood from the water and he wrapped her in a towel, helped her step over the edge of the tub, and bent to kiss her neck. They made their way to their bed, enjoying the last of their relaxing day.

Felix fed Ian and got him ready for bed. He's grown so much just in this first week, he thought. He took the infant to his cradle, the little boy's eyes already closing. He turned just as Magdalane entered, and she took his breath away. He'd been feeling the sensual caresses in her aura all afternoon, but since Ian was only a week old, was reluctant to let himself return her feelings. He couldn't help the rush of desire he felt when he saw her in a sheer robe that enhanced her already lean figure. She smiled as she felt his emotions, and without a word led him to their bed. With their force connection, they needed no words.

By morning, the entire group convened at the office, rested and relaxed. Miriah had brought wild berry muffins, which were a hit. The cookie bin was refilled, the kids had brought some new toys with them, and Ian blended seamlessly into the mix. Miriah took her mug of hot cocoa into her office, turned on her computer terminal and started looking through the numerous messages that had accumulated since they'd been on Coruscant. She sorted them and sent them to the various members of the group and sent all general inquiries to Aric.

Aric and Corso sat at their work benches, Corso reviewing the current ops for changes to weaponry and Aric looking for tactical advantages. They were both crunching on cookies, and looked up when Felix entered with Ian.

"How's the little guy doing?" Corso asked, grinning down at the infant. He thought about Logan then, and glanced at Miriah, who was buried in her work. He'd noticed last night that her body was changing, and he couldn't wait to be able to see his son growing,

"He just takes everything in stride," Felix replied, smiling down at his son. "Whatever we're doing, he's good with it. As long as he's dry and full, everything is fine with him." He crossed to the portable crib in the corner, placing the sleeping baby inside. "Now, what are we working on?"

"Garza sent this to us at midnight last night, " Aric said, handing Felix the datapad. "Looks like we'll be doing some planning on the push into Makeb." Felix read the datapad, absently tapping his foot.

"This looks pretty straightforward, but the numbers are off," Felix said. "I'll rework it a bit." He took a spot at the third workbench amidst Corso and Aric's smiles. They knew he'd been itching to dive into the missions, but had been holding back because he wanted to care for Magdalane while she was pregnant. Corso could empathize, he kept sneaking glances at his own wife, who'd been nausea free since Devin's intervention yesterday.

Miriah had just told Mags what Devin had done, when the kids burst into the break room, asking for cookies. "Devin," Mags said, and grinned at his happy face turned toward her. "You are having fun today?" He nodded his head enthusiastically, a cookie in each hand.

"Mama good. Not bad today. Her eat," he told his aunt, his eyes shining. He ran off with the others after a hug from his mom, and Mags turned to her sister.

"He is really something," she said, seeing Miriah's pride in her son on her face. "His comprehension of things around him surpasses his vocal ability, but you clearly know what he's saying. I may have to revise my prediction, he might be a healer instead." She grew thoughtful at that, wondering what he'd need to be taught first. Maura joined them in the break room.

"Mir, the bath was wonderful! I finally took your advice, and you were right. There's something about a woman relaxing in a tub of hot scented water that the men just can't resist." She giggled at the look on Miriah's face.

"Glad I could be of help, but I don't really think you need to try so hard. Aric's pretty observant on his own. That letter he sent you from the flagship should have told you that."

"Speaking of observant, your husband can't keep from glancing at you, Miriah," Mags said.

"Yeah, he's like this when I'm expecting," she replied, blushing a little.

"And when you're not well, or upset, or really just if you're breathing," teased Maura. Miriah looked over at the workbenches, and sure enough, Corso's brown eyes met her own. She smiled at him, and blew him a kiss, making him blush. The sisters chuckled, and returned to their desks, smiles on their faces.

Felix was deep in thought as he read. "Did you know that the mining on Makeb has essentially destroyed the stability of the core, and that all the habitable areas are on mesas with steep drops? The photos are incredible." He continued to read, becoming uneasy about the plans. "How are we supposed to blow up light bridges?" he asked. He shook his head as Aric sent him another set of data, the ding of the datapad telling him it was there. "There's more?" he asked, and sat back down to read.

Corso was reading, too, but soon put his datapad down and crossed to Miriah's desk. She looked up as he approached, and saw his worried frown. "Darlin', let's take Devin home and get some lunch. You need to eat, and I'm sure he's getting tired. I'll come back later and finish, do whatever you need done as well." He paused, waiting for her answer, and she reluctantly nodded her agreement. "I'll go get the boy, meet you at the speeder?" She nodded again, and went to tell Maura they were off.

They were in the swing, Devin napping, when she finally spoke. "Are you going to be so worried this whole pregnancy, sugar?"

"What? Oh, I hope not, darlin'. I just know you've lost some weight, and that the office has snacks but no real nutrition. I want you and Logan to be healthy, that's all." He let her stew on that for a few minutes, and she realized he was right, again.

"Sorry," she said. "I know you only have our best interests in mind. I just don't want to be a burden on you or on the others. I have work to finish, too. I know I can do it tomorrow, " she said, and he could feel her smile, "I just don't want to do nothing."

"No one thinks that, you know. You do more than just the office things to keep this group going. You're our pilot, our field medic, and our planner. You're our light, cyare, the one we all look to for guidance. Sarai told me something that I bet she never said to you. She said when we were gone, and Mags went into labor, she realized you were the positive force, the one who kept things moving forward, in the group." He fell silent and waited for her to digest this.

"She never told me that," Miriah said, her voice soft. "That was a really nice sentiment."

"It's true, darlin'. I see it every day. Devin gets that from you." He pulled her up his body and turned her to face him. "I love you, Miriah," he told her, kissing her soundly. They only broke apart when an speeder started up their drive.

"Who is that?" Miriah asked, shading her eyes to try and make out their visitor.

"No idea," Corso replied, and made sure Torchy was securely in his holster before rising to meet the rider.


End file.
